A 12-year-old boy has been arrested on suspicion of causing an enormous fire which forced hundreds of people to leave their homes overnight.
Huge plumes of thick smoke billowed into the sky after a fireball engulfed a disused warehouse in Crewe yesterday evening.
Around 250 nearby properties were evacuated by firefighters and 150 of those were left without electricity.
Emergency services rushed to the raging inferno in Catherine Street at around 4.15pm on Friday and cordoned off three of the surrounding streets.
Some families and residents were unable to return home and were put up in a makeshift emergency rest area at Crewe Lifestyle Centre.
Police say the fire is not linked to recent widespread rioting across the UK.
Cheshire Constabulary confirmed a schoolboy has been arrested on suspicion of arson with intent to endanger life.
‘I’d like to reassure local residents that this is believed to be an isolated incident, which is not linked to the recent disorder we’ve seen elsewhere in the county,’ superintendent Claire Jesson said last night.
The fire erupted inside a former printers and people living on Frances Street, Nantwich Road, Bedford Street and Catherine Street were all turfed out as a ‘precautionary measure’.
A major incident was declared by the fire service in the immediate aftermath.
There were 15 fire engines called into action and a number of neighbouring gardens have been damaged in the blaze, Cheshire Fire Service said.
No one is thought to have been hurt and Cheshire East Council is supporting those affected.
Supt Jesson added today: ‘I’d like thank residents for their patience while emergency services continue to work tirelessly at the scene.
‘We understand people will want to get back into their properties as soon as they can, and we are all working hard to ensure that it is safe for you to do so.
‘Agencies will continue to work with displaced residents to keep them updated as to when they can return.
‘While our colleagues from Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service tackle the fire, we continue to urge residents in the nearby area to stay indoors with their windows and doors closed at this time.’
Cheshire Constabulary also said enquiries into the incident are continuing following the arrest of a child.
Earlier this week, an eight-year-old boy was killed in a house fire in Merseyside.
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