Man and woman arrested in connection with Goldenhill fire
It started yesterday
Last updated 3 hours ago
Police have arrested a man and woman today (Friday 14 August), as they continue to work alongside fire colleagues, at a large fire in Goldenhill, Stoke-on-Trent.
Shortly before 4.15pm yesterday, they received a call from Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service, which was responding to a grass fire, at the back of Maureen Avenue, which was spreading quickly.
Four homes were affected, alongside a number of gardens.
Fire crews have now brought the incident under control.
Officers arrested two people, in connection with the fire, this morning.
A 23 year-old man and a 24 year-old woman, from Stoke-on-Trent, have both been arrested, on suspicion of arson.
Detective Inspector Emma Kempson, from the criminal investigations department, said: “We are continuing to work at pace to investigate the circumstances surrounding yesterday’s fire, which has culminated in the arrests today.
“Goldenhill Community Centre on Drummond Street was set up to provide support to evacuated individuals and others affected. We’re now working alongside Stoke-on-Trent City Council and have moved the location to Goldenhill Working Men’s Club on Mobberley Road.
“We’ve still got a number of officers in the area today and I can assure the local community we are actively working to investigate this surge in recent fires across Staffordshire.”
If you have any information that could help with our investigation, please get in touch by calling 101 or using Live Chat on the website, quoting incident 624 of 13 August.
To report anonymously, call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
A local resident said she “couldn’t believe” what was happening as the fire started feet away from her home on Wignall Road and that her nearby friends had lost their homes after the blaze.
She said: “I feel so sorry for them… it started nine feet away from my house.
“I can’t believe it. I could see smoke when I let the dog out and I didn’t know what the hell had happened.
“I’ve got a gas barbecue with gas bottles in the shed – all I could think about was that.
“My friends, two of their houses have gone. It’s completely gone. I’m so sorry for them.”
A director based at Goldenhill community centre said the fire had been “devastating” for the community, but local people had rallied together.
Nicola Beresford told the Press Association: “Local takeaways were bringing food for people who were taking refuge here.
“We have had so many members of the community coming in, offering donations.
“We’re now at the point where we physically can’t accept any more and we’re trying to co-ordinate needs with the local authority so we can prioritise each family so we can get aid out to them as quickly as possible.”
It comes after a series of major wildfires engulfed the West Midlands on Thursday evening.
The region’s ambulance said on Friday morning that a total of 54 people have been treated by paramedics, including 19 who were admitted to hospital, following the fire outbreaks.
Staffordshire Fire and Rescue service later said six firefighters had been taken to hospital to be treated for smoke inhalation and heat exhaustion after battling blazes across the county.
The fires led to thousands of 999 calls on Thursday, the UK’s hottest day of the year, a fire chief has said.