Sunday, 6 September 2009

Man Arrested...latest on fatal fire


A man has been arrested by police investigating an alleged arson attack at a block of flats in which two apprentice jockeys died and two others were injured.

North Yorkshire Police said a local man in his 30s was being quizzed by detectives investigating the fatal blaze at the three-storey block in Norton, near Malton.

The two people who died have yet to be named officially but we sadly know to be Jamie Kyne and Jan Wilson, and two other people were taken to hospital in York, though one was later released.

Superintendent Steve Tarn said: "At this moment the police are treating it (the fire) as suspicious and would ask for the community in Malton and Norton for their help."

He added that the two men taken to York District Hospital were suffering from minor burns and the effects of smoke inhalation, but one had been released and the other did not have injuries considered life-threatening.

A police spokeswoman added: "The intensity of the fire has caused substantial structural damage to the building, including the stairwell, making it unsafe to enter. This has delayed the recovery operation.

"Two people remain unaccounted for, but until access is gained and a full search has been carried out, we are unable to confirm if there are any further casualties."

Group manager Stuart Simpson, from North Yorkshire Fire Service, said crews were at the scene within five minutes but could not get into the property immediately because of fire on the staircase.

He said firefighters had the blaze under control quickly and managed to get in through windows. Around 60 firefighters were involved. A police spokeswoman said they had been alerted by the fire service at around 2.15am.

Steve Kinsella, who runs a pub opposite the scene, said: "I heard someone shouting, so I looked through the window and saw a girl running in the street. All she had on was a t-shirt. She was shouting, 'fire, fire', screaming at the top of her voice."