Two 15-year-old girls have been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter after a firefighter was killed tackling a blaze at a city-centre hair salon.
Firefighter Stephen Hunt, 38, was part of a team responding to a fire at Paul's Hair World in Oldham Street, Manchester, when he and a colleague got into difficulties last night. The father of two is thought to have been killed by a sudden build up of heat.
Mr Hunt's shattered family were coming to terms with his death and were described as being "absolutely grief-stricken".
County Fire Officer for Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service, Steve McGuirk, said: "We are devastated by the loss of one of our colleagues who has died in the line of duty."
Mr McGuirk said Mr Hunt is thought to have been enveloped by some kind of "super heat".
He added: "At the minute it's really too early to say what's led to the firefighter's death. It doesn't look like a building collapse or that he fell through any floors. The early indications are an absolutely massive, ferocious and sudden build-up of heat.
The second firefighter pulled from the blaze remains in hospital.
A spokesman for Greater Manchester Police (GMP) said: "A joint investigation into the cause of the fire is under way and two 15-year-old girls have been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter".
Detective Superintendent Phil Owen said: "We are working with our colleagues from the fire service to establish how this fire, which has tragically claimed the life of a fire fighter, started.
"We have already arrested two juveniles in connection with the fire and our enquiries are continuing."
Mr McGuirk thanked the ambulance service's Hazardous Area Response Team who battled to try to save Mr Hunt, whose death came almost exactly four years after Edinburgh firefighter Ewan Williamson died while tackling a blaze at a bar in the capital.
Tributes were paid to Mr Hunt on a Facebook page set up by the fire service. One read: "Heartbreaking news, thoughts go out to his family and also to his brave colleagues who continue to fight this fire even as they are grieving."
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