Assistant chief fire officer Jim Willmott said he had never seen the control room so hectic.
Neighbours describe seeing the fireball as the blaze began in a conservatory before spreading.
Firefighters say so far there is no trace of anybody in the building.
How creative minds are reimagining charity shops across the north west of England.
Hindu and Sikh leaders want the structure so mourners can scatter loved ones' ashes in Manchester.
The victims, now all grown men, gave "painful and difficult testimony" at the trial, police say.
The River Mersey reaches record levels in south Manchester as Storm Franklin batters the country.
Thousands of properties in south Manchester are being evacuated as Storm Christoph continues
