Woman arrested on suspicion of arson after  a Kirkby house fire

A woman has been arrested on suspicion of arson after a Kirkby house fire
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A house in Kirkby in Ashfield remains cordoned-off today, following a fire which left a woman requiring hospital treatment for smoke inhalation and led to the evacuation of a number of surrounding properties.

Firefighters were called to tackle a blaze on Cherry Avenue at around 9pm yesterday (Saturday July11).

Neighbouring properties in the street were evacuated as a precaution, as emergency crews responded to initial reports of the incident.

Police cordon a house off.Police cordon a house off.
Police cordon a house off.

A 51-year old woman, who was initially taken to hospital for treatment for smoke inhalation, was later arrested on suspicion of arson with intent to endanger life as part of detectives’ enquiries.

No-one else is believed to have been injured as a result of the blaze and residents from nearby properties have since been able to safely return to their homes.

Det sgt Matt Scott from Nottinghamshire Police said: “Fires within peoples’ homes can have absolutely devastating consequences for anyone who is unfortunate enough to be nearby, which is why we’re treating this case with such seriousness.

“Our investigative teams have been working alongside colleagues from Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service since the time the incident was reported to enable all those emergency services involved to better understand how the fire began.

“Those enquiries will continue throughout the day and I would encourage anyone with any information about the cause of the blaze to contact Nottinghamshire Police as soon as possible.”

Station Manager Stephen Copson, from Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service added: “Crews from Ashfield Fire Station attended the incident at just after 9 pm last night, along with colleagues from East Midlands Ambulance Service.

"We are currently supporting Nottinghamshire Police with their enquiries and a joint investigation into the cause of the fire is under way.

"Anyone witnessing a fire in their area will be understandably concerned, and we urge householders to ensure they have working smoke alarms on each level of their property and that they test them regularly.

Anyone with any information about the incident is asked to call Nottinghamshire Police on 101, quoting incident number 762 of Saturday 11 July.