Police Investigate Church Fire After Altar Damage

Authorities have initiated an inquiry into the origin of a church fire that necessitated the relocation of its services. According to a spokesperson for the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, emergency services were dispatched to St Bernard’s Roman Catholic Church, located in Burnage, Manchester, around 09:20 GMT. Three fire engines responded to the incident, which resulted in damage to an altar and required Mass to be conducted in the adjacent parish hall. The investigation into the fire’s origin is being spearheaded by Greater Manchester Police. Firefighting personnel stayed on site throughout the afternoon. An appeal for assistance was issued via a post on the parish’s official Facebook page. The message stated: “We have had a terrible fire in St Bernard’s church and we want to get it ready for Remembrance Sunday – we are pleading for help. “Please come and help us clean the church at 10am tomorrow (Friday 8th November).”Mass tomorrow and Saturday will be in the parish hall.” Audiences can access top content from BBC Radio Manchester on Sounds and connect with BBC Manchester across its Facebook, X, and Instagram platforms. Additionally, submissions for story ideas are welcomed at northwest.newsonline@bbc.co.uk and through Whatsapp at 0808 100 2230. This material is Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC disclaims responsibility for the material found on external websites. Further information on our external linking policy is available.