Police are investigating reports of ‘multiple’ fires within a retirement complex

Richard Youle, Local Democracy Reporter

Multiple fires lit within a large retirement complex have left leaseholder residents shocked and scared.

Firefighters responded to two fires at Homegower House, St Helen’s Road, Swanse on Tuesday, August 4 and returned the next day to put another one out.

South Wales Police attended on both days and said there were no injuries and that work was continuing to identify a suspect.

One Homegower House resident told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) he hadn’t heard the fire alarm while watching television in his first-floor flat on Tuesday and was alerted by loud bangs on the door from a neighbour.

The resident said: “He said ‘we need to get out, there’s a fire downstairs’. I grabbed my dog and off we went.”

He said his wife was at work at the time and that she was now terrified given what had happened. “She is too scared to be left alone,” he said.

The 62-year-old, who has asked not to be named, said there was a stay-put policy when the fire alarm rang.

He said it was his understanding that the two fires on Tuesday were in separate refuse storage areas and that one had taken hold more than the other.

The man, who used to be in the Army, said he guarded the main lounge at Homegower House on Tuesday night and patrolled areas of the building before handing over to another resident at 2am to keep watch. “I had this horrible feeling it wouldn’t be the last fire,” he said. “And I thought the lounge would be the obvious place to start one.”

The fire on Wednesday, he said, affected a hallway notice board. “It’s unbelievable,” he said. The man also said attempts had been made to light carpets in communal areas.

He said police stayed overnight on Wednesday, that forensics officers have been at the scene, and that private security was now present at all hours. He said Homegower House has 136 flats. Some residents, he said, were housebound.

The resident said he’d lived there for more than two years and that nothing like this had happened before. He added that a new state-of-the fire system had been installed around five months ago.

Front entry was a via a fob, he said, with a key needed to open a gate and a door at the rear to gain access.

He said residents were “shaking and in tears” on Wednesday. “At least three have moved out,” he said.

A South Wales Police spokesman said: “Officers are investigating following reports of multiple deliberately-lit fires across two days at an address in Swansea.

“The fire service attended Homegower House on St Helen’s Road following reports of two fires – at 10am and 12.30pm – on Tuesday August 4 and attended again on Wednesday August 5 at 7.30pm.

“All fires were extinguished and no injuries were sustained. No evacuation took place. Enquiries are currently ongoing in order to identify a suspect.”

Three fire crews

Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service said three fire crews attended on Tuesday morning just after 10am. “The crews responded to a fire involving one bin within a domestic property,” a spokesman said. “Smoke had spread to flats on the property’s ground, first, second and third floors.”

They extinguished the fire, ventilated the building and left an hour later. Just over an hour after that three crews, including one which had attended earlier, dealt with another bin fire at Homegower House.

Then, just before 7.30pm the next day two fire crews were sent there again. “The crews responded to a fire involving noticeboards within a domestic property,” said the spokesman. “The fire was located on the property’s second floor, the fire was out on the arrival of crews, who were involved in inspecting the scene.”

He added: “It’s believed these fires were started deliberately. Additional fire safety precautions have been implemented at the property.” Deliberate fire-setting, he said, was a serious criminal offence.

Local councillor David Phillips said: “This is very surprising, in fact I’m shocked. I’ve been working with the residents of Homegower House over the past few years on several issues but nothing like this.”

The Castle ward councillor said the building’s interior was “like a warren” notwithstanding its fire escapes. He said he saw fire engines at the complex on Wednesday and assumed there had been an incident like a kitchen pan on fire.

“I will endeavour to support residents, as will my (ward) colleagues, if there’s anything they need and also liaise with police if they need,” he said.

Security measures

Homegower House is managed by a company called FirstPort. A FirstPort spokeswoman said: “The safety of residents is our utmost priority. We are supporting the police and fire service while their investigation continues.

“We have immediately implemented a number of security measures, including the deployment of a professional waking watch service overnight to provide continued patrols across the building. In addition, we will be adding security patrols and installing temporary surveillance equipment.

“We continue to reassure residents, and our team will be on site, meeting with them directly to answer questions and provide reassurance while the investigation continues.”

FirstPort said the fire service was satisfied with the fire safety measures in place at Homegower House, and that bin storage areas will be locked outside normal operating hours as an added precaution.

It added that Homegower House has a stay-put fire strategy. Residents are advised to follow the building’s fire safety procedures and any instructions given by the emergency services, it said.

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