People living near a derelict Nottinghamshire building say fires there are becoming regular after the most recent incident led to tiles "popping" off the roof. Crews from four stations attended the incident at a farmhouse on Mill Lane in Huthwaite, with firefighters battling to prevent a "total loss" of the building.
The crews from Ashfield, Alfreton, Mansfield and Worksop were called to the incident at 3.42pm on Monday (May 29), with the fire having started in the second floor roof space of the building. A fire investigation has found that the most likely cause was deliberate ignition.
The team at Ashfield Fire Station issued a social media post on Tuesday (May 30) asking parents and carers to "talk to their loved ones about the dangers of entering derelict buildings." The post added: "A criminal record of arson will limit job and travel opportunities in later life. It also puts their lives and those attending the incident at unnecessary risk."
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People living near the farmhouse say break-ins have become increasingly common there. Paul Atkin, 70, who lives in the area with his wife Jeanette, 69, said the building had been empty for around 18 months, with the previous owner having passed away.
The land on which the farmhouse sits contains several other outbuildings, with Mr Atkin believing that the site comprises around 11 acres. He said: "You couldn't see for the smoke, there were tiles popping off the roof and everything.
"I think this is the third time there has been a fire there in the last six months." Michael Knobbs, 55, who lives just down the road from the farmhouse, agreed that fires at the building had become a regular occurrence over the last year.
He added that there had been several thefts at the building before fires began. Another resident in the area, who did not want to be named but who had lived there for nearly 50 years, said: "There is all sorts going off there.
"We were actually out all day and this is what we came back to, we couldn't even get down the road. It is a shame because I've heard that the building has been here for around 300 years. If my wife had seen it, she would have been terrified of the fire spreading to our house, because we are so close to it."
Paul Atkin said he believed the site had been sold since the death of the previous owner, but that he was not aware who the new owners were. The fire was eventually extinguished by 6:30pm and handed over to the council to be secured.
Crews then returned for a reinspection at around 8:30pm to make sure there were no remaining hotspots. Watch Manager Sam Mills said: "It took considerable effort and extensive resources to prevent a total loss of the building.
"Thank you to crews and our partner organisations for their hard work at this incident. If you have any information on how the fire started, we ask that you call FireStoppers anonymously on 0800 169 5558."
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