Arson suspected in Worcester fire
A fire which tore through a block of flats at around 11pm on Monday is thought to be arson.
Six fire engines, more than fifty firefighters and two aerial ladder platforms tackled the blaze in Worcester.
Det Sgt Phil Colley said: “We are treating the fire as suspicious at this time and are continuing to work closely with the fire brigade as investigations continue. Anyone with information should contact police immediately.”
The building is now unsafe to enter and most of the roof has collapsed. Nearby buildings were also damaged by the fire. Structural engineers will be carrying out a full inspection to assess the damage.
No one was injured in the fire.
Arson suspected in Keighley store blaze
A fire which tore through Poundstretcher in Keighley last week is thought to be arson.
Dozens of firefighters, 8 fire engines and a mobile command unit attended the fire at the Cavendish Retail Park at around 6.30pm on 10th May.
Trevor O’Hara, 51, who witnessed the blaze said: “The flames were spectacular at first, really visible even though we were kept a good distance away. The firefighters got things under control very quickly but the smoke was still extremely dense. It was unpleasant to breathe in so I decided not to hang around.”
Fire engines tackled the fire from the front and the rear of the building and although no flames were visible from outside the building, the damage to the building was ‘significant’ and will probably have to be demolished.
Philip Smith, town centre manager said: “It’s sad to see a store that has recently had a refit suffer from a fire so badly. It is a Keighley Town Centre Association member and we’ll be looking to support it in any way we can. We look forward to seeing the store getting back into business as soon as possible.”
North Bradford Police have said: “A 16-year-old Keighley youth has been arrested in connection with the incident and bailed pending further inquiries. Investigations into the blaze, which is being treated as suspicious, are ongoing with the fire service.”
Arson suspected in Gloucester fire
A fire which broke out in a derelict building in Gloucester on Saturday is thought to be arson.
The blaze, which broke out at around 1.30pm on Saturday, led to one of Gloucester’s busiest streets being closed off for the afternoon causing chaos for local businesses.
Local landlord Mark Summerell said: “We saw smoke coming out of the building so called the fire service. It took a while to get the building inspector here. If he’d been away for the bank holiday it could have cost us a few more quid. I don’t understand why they just can’t flatten the building anyway. It’s coming down one day either way.”
Firefighters were initially concerned that the building might collapse and was cordoned off for several hours. The building was declared safe by structural engineers from Gloucester City Council and the area was reopened at around 4.30pm.
Inspector Simon Todd from Gloucestershire Police has confirmed that they area treating the fire as arson.
Arson suspected at Caversham Age UK charity shop
A charity shop in Caversham was damaged in a suspected arson attack last night.
The blaze broke out in the stock room of the shop at around 11.30pm last night.
Firefighters from Caversham Road tackled the blaze. Dave Hawkins from the fire service said: “We believe there was a forced entry at the back. Police are investigating and we’re carrying out our own investigation. Quite a bit of stock was damaged and the room is destroyed.”
An investigation into the cause of the fire is now underway.
M1 motorway fire – arson suspected
A fire investigation has revealed that the M1 scrapyard fire was arson.
The fire started at around 4.15pm on Friday 15th April, in Ellesmere Avenue and resulted in an 11km stretch of the M1 being closed for days.
A spokesperson for the London Fire Brigade has confirmed that their findings have now ‘been handed to the Met for investigation’.
Nobody was injured in the fire but substantial damage was caused and motorists still face severe motorway disruption well into the Easter Weekend.
The Highways Agency has reported that construction work is underway but urges motorists to consider alternative routes to avoid ‘continued congestion’.
Ministers have requested an audit of railways and roads which are at risk of industrial accidents and an investigation will also be carried out into the storage of gas canisters at Apex Metals.