Police release boy after fire in Calcot

A 17-year-old had been held on suspicion of arson with intent to endanger life.

Author: Jonathan RichardsPublished 29th Jul 2022
Last updated 1st Aug 2022

A 17-year-old boy from Calcot has been released after he was arrested in connection with a large residential fire which broke out in Red Cottage Drive in Calcot last week.

The boy had been held on suspicion of arson with intent to endanger life but has now been released 'under investigation'.

At just before 11.50pm (28/7) officers were alerted to a large fire, which affected several properties in Red Cottage Drive.

On arrival, colleagues from Royal Berkshire Fire & Rescue Service were on scene tackling the fire, which has left three properties severely damaged and has also affected other properties.

Residents in the area were evacuated to Calcot Infants School, which was set up as an emergency triage centre.

The fire was brought under control and extinguished in the early hours of the morning and nobody was seriously injured, although a number of people were treated at the scene by South Central Ambulance Service.

Chief Inspector Emily Evans, the Deputy LPA commander for West Berkshire, said:

“This was initially declared as a Major Incident, but thankfully, due to the swift actions of Royal Berkshire Fire & Rescue Service, South Central Ambulance Service and Thames Valley Police, nobody suffered serious injuries.

“However, sadly, a number of residents have been displaced and several properties have suffered damage, some of which is very significant.

Witnesses

CI Evans continued: “I am appealing to anybody who was in the area last night and witnessed what happened to please get in touch with Thames Valley Police either by making a report online or by calling 101, quoting reference number 43220335883.

“If you do not wish to speak directly to police, you can also call the independent charity Crimestoppers 100% anonymously on 0800 555 111.

“Naturally, this incident has had a significant impact in the local community with a number of residents affected.

“They are being supported and work is ongoing to ensure those whose homes are badly damaged are relocated.

“There will be a considerable presence of police officers and investigators at the scene for some time as this investigation continues.

“The exact cause of this fire is still under investigation, and we are in the very early stages of this, and would urge the local community not to speculate, but contact police if you have any information that can assist.

“I’d be particularly keen to hear from anybody who may have CCTV, doorbell or dash-cam footage from around the time of the incident last night to please contact us and provide this to us.

“It is testament to the professionalism of our officers and colleagues in the fire and ambulance services that this incident was brought under control quickly and no-one was seriously hurt.

“I would like to thank the local community for their patience and understanding in supporting the evacuation while we dealt with what was a very serious incident.”

Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service said:

"At 11:47pm on Thursday, 28 July, we received a call to a report of a fire at a domestic property on Red Cottage Drive in Calcot.

"Two Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service crews from Newbury Fire Station, and a crew from Theale, Caversham Road, Whitley Wood, Wokingham Road, Mortimer, Bracknell, Crowthorne, and Maidenhead fire stations were sent to the scene, alongside the Aerial Ladder Platform from Whitley Wood Fire Station, the Incident Command Unit from Maidenhead Fire Station and two RBFRS Officers.

"Upon arrival, crews confirmed a fire affecting two properties. Four firefighters wearing breathing apparatus worked to extinguish the fire using two hose reels and two main jets.

This incident is now scaling back, but some crews remain on scene dampening down and carrying out re-inspections, please continue to avoid the area where possible. "

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