Man flees flat after wheelie bin arson

Dec 15 2007 by Dave Black, The Journal

A MAN escaped from his smoke-logged flat after fire-raisers set off a chain reaction blaze which could have ended in tragedy.

Quantity surveyor Andrew Humble, 26, was asleep in the first floor flat in the middle of the night when a downstairs neighbour banged on his door to wake him up after spotting the fire at the rear of the two properties.

He had to make his way through the living room – which was full of thick, black smoke – to retrieve his front door keys from the kitchen and let himself out to safety.

The blaze was deliberately started in a wheelie bin at the back of the flats in Bedlington Station, Northumberland, between 1.30am and 2.27am on Thursday morning.

It spread to Mr Humble’s parked BMW car, and the intense heat melted the fuel tank, resulting in burning petrol igniting the two rear doors to the flats.

Yesterday, he was waiting to discover whether his car will be written off following the incident, which police say caused at least £5,000 worth of damage to the vehicle and the two properties.

Northumbria Police said it was fortunate that no-one was injured in the incident, and warned those responsible for starting the fire that the full force of the law will be brought against them if they are caught.

Yesterday, Mr Humble, who lives alone in the flat, said it was lucky that his neighbour heard the noise of the blaze, woke him up and alerted the fire service.

“I was asleep in bed at the front of my flat but it was my neighbour, Janet, downstairs who woke up about 2am and banged on my door to wake me. The fire was round the back and she could see the flames. The living room was full of smoke but I managed to get a key from the kitchen and let myself out.

“Arson experts were here yesterday and they think the wheelie bin was so close to my car that the heat from the fire set a tyre on fire and then the fuel tank, which started to leak causing the flames to spread to the flat doors. My flat was absolutely black with smoke, but luckily I had shut the doors.

“I was asked by the police if anyone had it in for me, but there is nothing and I have had no run-ins with anyone around here. I believe my car is a write-off but it could have been a lot worse.”

Fire crews put out the blaze before it could spread further. Northumbria Police asked for anyone with information about the incident – or other wheelie bin fires in the Bedlington Station and Redhouse Farm areas of the town since November – to contact them on 0845 604-3043 ext 63526.

Det Sgt Pete Jeffrey said: “This could all too easily have resulted in people being injured. Those responsible for this fire must realise that they are potentially risking lives by their actions.”