THE fire at the South Oxfordshire District Council offices has reignited after high winds fanned embers.

Dave Etheridge, the chief fire officer, said that in the past hour there have been gale-force winds that turned over some of the loose material in the building, which had been previously on fire.

Technically the fire service had not declared the fire out. Strong winds fanning the embers is a normal hazard in these types of building fires.

Oxford Mail:

Neighbour Ian Negus has told us that he can see the roof glowing red in the strong winds.

"It looked like the lefthand side was fine but it looks like cinders or something has re-ignited.

"It's embers flaring at the moment. I can't see flames yet but there are a lot of fire engines there now."

Tony Shields, 68, who lives in Benson Lane near the Crowmarsh council offices, said: “There are patches of the roof glowing red and it looks like the fire has reignited in some parts of the building.

“Smoke is still coming out and firefighters are looking through the ground floor with torches.

“It’s clearly not an easy operation for these firefighters, particularly in these windy conditions.”

 

Oxford Mail:

  • Photo of the reignited flames from Oxford Mail reader Ian Negus, via Twitter

A 47-year-old man is still being held by police tonight over the three arson attacks in South Oxfordshire.

South Oxfordshire District Council's offices in Crowmarsh Gifford were destroyed, a neighbouring funeral parlour damaged and a thatched cottage in nearby Rokemarsh badly damaged in three separate fires, which all started shortly after 3am.

Thames Valley Police believes a vehicle crashed into the council offices prior to the fire.

It also said gas canisters were found at all three scenes.

A premises in Rokemarsh was being searched as part of its investigations and canisters were also found at that address, Thames Valley Police said.

Twenty-seven fire engines were in use at the height of the incidents and firefighters used hydraulic platforms to spray water onto the roof of the council offices shared by South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse district councils.

The Ministry of Defence sent a bomb disposal squad to the Benson Lane office as a precautionary measure.

Police are treating the incidents as linked but do not believe the fires are connected to any terrorist activity.

A man from the Wallingford area, arrested at 11am, is still in police custody.

No one is thought to have been injured in any of the fires but about 30 people were forced to leave their properties neighbouring the cottage in Rokemarsh.

Some 380 South Oxfordshire council staff were told to stay at home, the councils’ shared IT system was destroyed and both their websites down.

Acting chief executive Steve Bishop said he hoped the damage to the £10m building would be covered by insurance. 

The offices on fire this morning, courtesy of reader Ian Negus

Oxford Mail:

Oxford Mail:

Video from reader Karl Mitchell-Shead

 

 

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