Frustrated Storage World customers say recent drone footage shows many belongings may be retrievable, contradicting official assessments
Business owners and tenants affected by the devastating Storage World fire in Middleton have hit back at claims that salvaging items is impossible, pointing to drone footage which they say shows undamaged units on the ground floor of the building.
In a strongly worded public post, Hassan Rashid, a unit holder, said it was “heartbreaking” to receive an email suggesting nothing on the first floor could be recovered, while also challenging conclusions about the state of the ground floor.
“From a non-expert view, there is no water damage, no fire damage, with minimal smoke damage to some of the remaining units,” he said. “Clean, dry floors with untouched, unharmed possessions are clearly visible.”
Rashid said he and other unit holders placed trust in Storage World to protect their belongings and now expect “a sophisticated salvaging process” for ground floor items which remain in “pristine condition”.
An official update from Storage World stated that hundreds of thousands of litres of water were used by fire crews to extinguish the blaze and that exposure to the elements had likely rendered most stored items “unsalvageable”. It cited water damage, mould, contamination, and safety concerns, including the possible presence of asbestos.
But Rashid and others argue this is “not entirely correct” and say the drone footage proves many units remain intact, particularly on the side of the building opposite the worst of the fire.
Rennie Schafer, a representative cited in the community thread, responded: “The company remains hopeful some goods on the ground floor can be saved... but they are also managing expectations.” Schafer noted visible soot, drying water residues, and warned that particulate contamination cannot be guaranteed to be removable, especially from soft furnishings.
Still, the response has done little to ease tensions. Many unit holders believe they should be allowed to assess and recover their belongings, or at least be given the choice.
Susan Jane Britain said: “If those cardboard boxes had had water in them, they wouldn’t be like they are.” Another user, Derek Boon, questioned the basis for writing off first floor items: “Without substantial reports and evidence that our property has gone, we expect it back in whatever condition.”
Some also raised serious questions about public health and asbestos. Kathryn Bailey asked what steps were taken to protect the public if asbestos was present during the fire, with the smoke bellowing throughout Middleton for weeks. Another user, Katelyn Rickard, said: “I wasn’t aware there was asbestos on the premises. If I were, I would not have trusted my belongings in there.”
One post summed up the mood: “It’s just one big mess.”
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