Arson attack sparks major fire at Gloucester Quays
A major fire at Gloucester Quays this morning was caused by an arson attack.
The blaze at the disused Peel House building on St Ann Way began shortly after 4am and has forced the closure of the major road for the the rest of the day.
Four fire crews from Gloucester, Cheltenham and Cirencester pumped canal water into the building from an aerial platform and the fire was put out by 8.45am.
But there are fears that smashed windows and a strong breeze could cause hotspots to reignite.
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A fire crew will be station there throughout the day to monitor the situation.
The building was at the centre of an arson attack just three weeks ago on January 7.
Watch commander Craig Haynes, from Gloucester South fire station, said: "This is a major fire and we are likely to be here for several hours yet.
"We had a call from a security guard and when we arrived there was thick black smoke everywhere. We just couldn't get near it."
A pump that can take 7,000 litres per minute from the adjacent Gloucester and Sharpness Canal came into action at 6.30am.
Late morning saw the arrival of crime scene investigators from Gloucestershire Police and fire officers confirmed that it was an arson attack, with several deliberate fires being created.
Shoppers hoping to reach Gloucester Quays can still do so but will have to avoid the road closure.
More on this story in your copy of tomorrow's Citizen.
6 Comments
by TimMessanger
Sunday, January 27 2013, 8:21PM
“@zalapompadoo - it's not the Quays is an old derelict office building last used as site offices when they built the Quays development, it's a dump and an eyesore and should have been demolished years ago and will have little if no affect on the Quays unless the likes of TiG use headlines suggesting it was there!”
by TimMessanger
Sunday, January 27 2013, 4:52PM
“Before the people who don't live in the area carry on with the red arrows, there have been repeated cases of building in the area "having fires" and in the majority of cases the buildings have been used by "the homeless" they use candles for lighting and often light fires to keep warm.
It's rather soon to blame it on arson, I take it they have found traces of an accelerant or are they making assumptions?
Here are just a couple or recent incidents!
http://tinyurl.com/bz7yayr
http://tinyurl.com/9weq2f9”
by zalapompadoo
Sunday, January 27 2013, 2:52PM
“this is awful the quays have taken strides to make something of the gloucester lets hope it wont affect the trade and most of all peoples jobs and homes in the area”
by tishwash
Sunday, January 27 2013, 1:18PM
“"Citizen reporter Mike Wilkinson speaks with firefighters at the scene" they're probably thinking, go away whilst we do our job please.”
by nickthompson
Sunday, January 27 2013, 1:07PM
“TimMessanger: "We know it's the homeless people in there lighting fires and using candles to keep warm" ------------------------
----HOW DARE THEY break into an empty building and use candles in an effort to keep warm, have the homeless no sense at all of whats right,and wrong,they have no business trying to stop dying from hypothermia, and whilst we rest in our warm beds,and rise to our centrally heated homes, these people MUST be reminded that this type of behaviour will not be tolerated!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.”
by TimMessanger
Sunday, January 27 2013, 10:45AM
“We know it's the homeless people in there lighting fires and using candles to keep warm, any empty building if not properly made secure is suitable for this fate. The police won't do anything because they don't catch the people breaking in in the first point and rather than use joint enterprise to prosecute they let them carry on. Nothing will be done until people die!”