What happened to the Manchester Woolworth in 1979?

In the early trading hours of 8 May 1979 a fire broke out on the second floor of the Manchester Woolworth department store.

The store consisted of six upper floors and two basement floors. It’s thought that there were around 500 people in the store at the time of the incident. Some shoppers located within the restaurant area believed the incident to be a false alarm and refused to leave.

Many of the windows and doors were barred in order to prevent shoplifting - unfortunately this hampered the rescue operation. The fire service had to break down the bars in order to rescue people from the upper floors. The event tragically claimed the lives of 10 people.
 

• 26 people were rescued by the fire brigade
• 6 others were assisted from the building
• 47 people were taken to hospital
• 6 firemen were injured, but none serious
• 90% of the second floor was damaged
• 3rd, 4th and 5th floors damaged by smoke
• The first floor was slightly damaged by fire
• The stock on the first floor, ground floor and basement was damaged by water

How did the 1979 Manchester Woolworth fire start?

The fire is believed to have been started by faulty electrical writing igniting stacked sofas which contained polyurethane material that released cyanide gas during the blaze.

The fire services were called by members of the public from outside of the store.

What can the industry learn from the 1979 Manchester Woolworth fire?

Following the event there was a campaign to change the material used in soft furnishings.

In 1988, The Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations came into effect, forcing manufacturers to make furniture fillings and covers from safer materials.