Inferno at Tom Parker Bowles luxury home
The Duchess of Cornwall’s son Tom Parker Bowles had to be evacuated from his home in the early hours of the 5th January after his multi-million pound home went up in flames.
Around sixty firefighters attended the incident at the five-storey house in Bayswater, London at around 1.20am.
The fire affected all floors of the property and crews took around 10 hours to bring the fire under control.
Mr Parker Bowles, who took shelter in a neighbour’s home with his wife and two young children, said that the incident had brought out the ‘best of British’ spirit in his street.
He said: ‘It must have been about 1.30am when officers came in to get us all out. The kids were still in their pyjamas. We have some very nice neighbours who took us in after we were evacuated. The police and fire brigade were exemplary. I really cannot praise them enough. They did a perfect job. Incidents like this really do bring out the best of British. We’ve been able to go back and pick up some essentials but we won’t be able to return until tonight.’
Firefighters from Kensington, Chelsea, Hammersmith, Paddington, Knightsbridge, Bow, Wandsworth, Chiswick and West Hampstead attended the blaze.
Station manager Dave Robinson said: “Crews have been working hard throughout the night in challenging conditions to get this fire under control and to stop it from spreading to neighbouring buildings. The house affected by the fire is a large property which is currently under refurbishment. No-one is believed to have been living there and thankfully we’ve had no reports of any injuries. The cause of the fire is not known at this stage. Firefighters are likely to remain at the scene throughout the morning.’
A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police said: ‘We were in attendance but early indications suggest that it is not being treated as suspicious.’
Hampshire supermarket destroyed in freezer blaze
A Co-op supermarket in Hampshire has been destroyed by a fire which is believed to have started in a freezer.
Fire Crews attended the incident at the shop in Cowplain, Waterlooville at around 3pm on Saturday afternoon after smoke was seen coming from a unit in the shop.
Hampshire Fire and Rescue said the building in Milton Road was “rapidly engulfed by fire” and firefighters inside the building were forced to withdraw before the flames caused the roof to collapse.
Three people required treatment at the scene for the effects of smoke inhalation and one person was taken to hospital.
It is thought that the fire may have been caused by an electrical fault in a freezer.
Phil Ponsonby, from Southern Co-operative, said: “We are very proud of the action that our colleagues in the store took to evacuate the building quickly, ensuring that no customers and colleagues were hurt. All colleagues undertake fire evacuation training and this paid off on Saturday. The store has been extensively damaged and will remain closed until further notice. We hope to be able to confirm the cause of the fire once a forensic investigation has been undertaken.”
Firefighters remained at the scene on Sunday for several hours, damping down to prevent the fire from reigniting.
Cannabis factory fire destroys farm
A fire which destroyed a farm and damaged two neighbouring homes is thought to have started in a building being used to grow Cannabis.
The fire broke out in the farm in Greater Manchester in the early hours of Monday morning.
A 28-year-old woman has been arrested on suspicion of production of cannabis.
Detective Sergeant Rachel Smith from Salford CID, said: “This incident once again demonstrates the reckless danger inherent in producing cannabis. This cannabis farm has not only been producing illegal drugs but it has put nearby people in potential danger. Thankfully, no one has been injured and the fire was quickly contained and extinguished, but the disruption caused was considerable. The production of cannabis is a blight on our communities and I would always encourage anyone with suspicions about cannabis farms to get in touch with the police immediately.”
The cause of the fire is now being investigated by police.