Family speak out after being evacuated from blaze at city centre apartment

On Monday night, fire crews scrambled to a high-rise building on Bolton Road, near Bradford city centre, after a fire broke out in the basement.

A fire service spokesperson said the fire involved two cars and caused smoke logging to the majority of floors of the property.

Around 50 tenants were evacuated and given accommodation at a hotel for the night, but now they are facing issues after being told they can’t return to the accommodation.

And a notice is now present on the door of the property which states that the fire service deems the building a serious risk and that use of the premises ought to be prohibited.

Amina Miskeen, who is an IT technician, has lived in the building for three years with her husband and two children and has spoken about the struggles they are now facing.

“I was coming back from the gym on Monday night and saw the smoke, I was just in complete shock.

“My husband said the fire alarm went off and it was louder than usual, he hurried out with the kids because he could see black smoke rising from the windows.

The John Green Building, Bolton Road. Picture: Google Maps

“There were about six fire engines and the smoke had risen throughout the building, so it was quite scary.”

Amina has said that on the night of the fire they were told that it should all be sorted within a week, but now due to issues within the building, it could be longer.

“We’re having to rent a house from booking.com for £120 until Saturday but we’re not sure what we’re going to do after that.”

“The council has offered us shared accommodation for £250 a week that we have to pay for but I don’t really want to put my children in there.”

“I’ve got a 1 and a half-year-old and a six-year-old, it was heart-breaking being declared homeless and I just didn’t know where to go. I was forced to just book this on my credit card. I’ve always had a place for them to live.”

Amina has said she has had to borrow clothes from relatives and that even though she’s managed to retrieve her laptop, she hasn’t been able to work because she hasn’t got access to Wi-Fi. 

The T&A have contacted Bradford Council and West Yorkshire Fire Service for an update.