Arson inquiry into garage fire drama (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

Arson inquiry into garage fire drama

2:00pm Saturday 7th July 2012 in News By Dolores Cowburn, Bradford Chief Reporter

Detectives have been given the go ahead to enter a fire-ravaged building in Keighley to investigate whether the blaze was started deliberately or not.

Structural engineers had to give the commercial garage on Beck Street the all-clear before police could enter to start investigating the blaze that destroyed more than half the building on Friday night.

Firefighters from Keighley had to call in help from Bingley to tackle the fire, in a mill building at 11.30pm, which destroyed two cars inside the garage and set the asbestos roof alight.

None of those tackling the blaze were allowed inside the building, which measured seven by 15 metres, amid fears it could collapse.

The street was cordoned off while firefighters, including a crew from Haworth, worked for more than three hours to get it under control.

Arson has not been ruled out.

Detective Inspector Mark Long, from Keighley CID, said: “We were informed of the fire at midnight on Friday and at this stage we are conducting our inquiries and investigations before we decide whether it is suspicious or not.”

Watch Commander Tony Pearson, from Keighley Fire Station, said it took a couple of minutes to find the blaze because a member of public had said it was in Heber Street.

“It was an intense fire when we got there and I had my crew working really hard for 45 minutes to stop it spreading to the rest of the mill,” he said. “It was well on its way when we got there.

“It was a commercial garage used as storage and the asbestos roof caused us a few issues with the roof sheets popping. The internal part of the building was falling down and we made sure no one was inside.

“There was a small oxygen cylinder inside which was destroyed and building control will be inspecting small cracks in the wall just in case it starts collapsing.”