Arson suspected at Hampshire school
A school in Hampshire was evacuated on 7th November after a fire broke out in the roof.
Fire crews attended the incident at Clere Secondary School in Burghclere at around 2pm when a blaze was reported to have broken out in the roof of the sports hall.
Around 700 pupils were evacuated from the school. Access to the roof was hampered by solar panels. It was quickly decided that crews would use compressed air foam to fight the fire internally.
A structural engineer from Basingstoke & Deane Council attended the incident as fears grew that the roof may collapse. It is thought that around a fifth of the roof was damaged in the fire.
Senior fire officer Dave Graham said: “The school was brilliant at evacuating the children in good time and crews worked hard under challenging conditions, hindered by the solar panels, to keep the fire from entering the sports hall and stop what could have been 100 per cent damage to the property.”
Amanda Keable from the school said she at first thought that the smoke was coming from a nearby bonfire but soon realised it was a blaze on the school premises. Ms Keable said: “The children were fantastic in evacuating the building and crew have been brilliant in keeping us updated and working hard in hot conditions.”
Detectives investigating the cause of the fire have recently arrested four teenagers, and have charged a 15-year-old, from Newbury, with arson with intent. The suspect is due to appear at Basingstoke Magistrates’ Court.
Two 14-year-old boys have been released on bail until December 24, pending further enquiries. A 15-year-old girl was also arrested in connection with the incident but was later released.
Residents rescued from flats – arson suspected
Ten people had to be rescued from a block of flats in Scotland on 4th November after a fire broke out at around 3.30am. The people were trapped on the upper floors of the building and could not escape due to the intense flames and smoke.
No-one was injured in the incident but two of the residents were treated for smoke inhalation.
Strathclyde Police has launched an investigation with the fire service to find out what caused the blaze. It is thought that the fire was started deliberately.
Detective Inspector John Shaw of East Kilbride CID said: “This was a terrifying experience for the occupants of the flats, and made even worse by the fact that early investigations have told us that the fire was started deliberately by an unknown person or persons. Thankfully, no one was injured in this incident; however, if it was not for the swift action of the occupants and the emergency services then we may have been dealing with serious injuries or even fatalities.”
Man arrested on suspicion of arson at Gwent crisp factory
A man has been arrested on suspicion of arson after a fire destroyed a south Wales crisp factory.
Around 50 firefighters attended the blaze at the Real Crisps site on Crumlin’s Penyfan industrial estate at around 3am on 20th September. The fire caused extensive damage and has affected around 75% of the factory.
A spokesperson for Gwent Police said: “Fire investigators have been at the site today and have established the fire is believed to be deliberately set.”
Gwent Police have confirmed that a man has been arrested in connection with the incident.
Paul Allen, chief executive of Northern Ireland company Tayto Group said: “Our focus now is on what we can do for those staff, who are naturally concerned for their jobs. We also need to ensure minimal disruption to our customers and we are working hard to bring that about. We do have other factories and will be considering all options that are open to us. Once we have fully assessed the situation we shall be able to make further announcements.”
Environment Agency staff have also been involved in the incident and have been ensuring that local water supplies are not polluted.
A spokesperson for the Environment Agency said: “Action by the fire service and Environment Agency Wales officers to set up a series of barriers around the area contained the water and prevented a potential risk to the environment. The agency believes that local rivers and streams have not been affected but it remains onsite to help with the disposal of the contaminated water and continues to monitor the situation.”
Arson suspected at Devon bus station
A fire broke out at Paignton Bus Station in Devon on Monday 30th July.
Three buses were damaged in the incident causing damage of around £120,000.
Keith Tuckerman from the fire service said: “We had it under control in about half an hour using compressed air foam and hose reel jets.”
Devon and Cornwall Police have confirmed that the fire is thought to have been started deliberately and an investigation has now begun.
A statement by Stagecoach said: “No one is believed to have been injured and there has been no damage to the depot building itself. We are helping police in any way that we can with their investigation into the fire, including supplying CCTV footage. We would also urge anyone with information about the incident to contact police.”
A police spokesman said: “A joint investigation will be taking place into the cause of the fire which is being treated as suspected arson. Two double deck buses and one single deck bus have been destroyed with an estimated damage cost of around £120,000.
Deli loses £25,000 stock in suspicious fire
30 firefighters attended a large fire at a delicatessen in Wembley on Sunday 5th August.
The fire broke out at around 2am in a storage area of the Bartek Deli. The fire caused over £25,000 worth of damage to food stock and took 3 hours to bring under control.
Several neighbouring shops were also damaged including a stationers and a dental surgery.
Initial findings show that the fire may have been started deliberately. An investigation will now be carried out.