Maurice Fletcher and Cilla Thompson with the burnt-out remains of Ms Thompson’s Peugeot 307 at Les Sejours au Pieds, St Sampson’s. A fire which started in one of the garages spread to two others, damaging vehicles and appliances. (Picture by Steve Sarre, 0554273)
TWO fires at the weekend could have been started deliberately. A derelict house in Burnt Lane, St Peter Port, was gutted by a blaze early on Sunday evening, while three garages in a private clos at St Sampson’s suffered the same fate about six hours later.
Detective Sergeant Karl Zierlinger said there was nothing to suggest that the two incidents were linked at this stage. ‘We have been unable to establish the causes of the fires and investigations are ongoing in conjunction with the Fire & Rescue Service,’ he said.
Fire fighters were called to Les Sejours au Pieds, Delancey Lane, shortly before 11.30pm. A fire that started in a garage had spread to one on either side. All had cars inside. Cilla Thompson’s two-year-old Peugeot 307 was completely burnt out.
Maurice Fletcher said the couple were watching TV when his partner said she could smell burning.
‘I went to the back door and, with the way the wind was blowing, I thought it was a house in the next clos,’ he said.
Mr Fletcher ran there but could see no sign of a fire.
‘I was just coming back when I heard an explosion and a hole appeared in the roof of our garage,’ he said.
Mr Fletcher, a fishmonger, grabbed the car keys from the house and ran towards the garage where he found burning timbers from the roof resting on his partner’s car.
‘I knew I wouldn’t be able to get near it and as I started to go back to the house there was another explosion and a huge fireball went up.’
The car, which had only been serviced two weeks before, had a full tank of petrol, he said.
The neighbours had all rallied to help one another and firefighters arrived very quickly.
Ms Thompson is an account executive with Islands’ Insurance, which, she said, had provided cover for all three vehicles.
‘I’m just thankful that nobody was hurt,’ she said.
‘We have been told that it might be arson or it might be a fault with my car,’ she said. ‘We are open-minded but it seems strange that the car hadn’t been used for about 30 hours beforehand.’
Eileen Goldsmith’s black Suzuki Jimny was left covered with bitumen which had dripped from the fire in the garage roof.
‘I was fast asleep and my nephew, Jon Baudains, came hammering on the door,’ she said.
‘I’m just glad my scooter survived as I might need it to get to work now,’ said Miss Goldsmith, an accounts administrator with the Blue Diamond Group.
Mr Baudains said at first he thought he had heard hailstones but this turned out to be roof tiles cracking under the heat.
Carrie O’Regan’s white Hyundai saloon was also covered in bitumen. The back was extensively damaged, as were three domestic appliances which were stored in the garage.
‘I didn’t hear a thing before Jon knocked on the door and I opened it to see this massive fire outside,’ she said.
The owner of a derelict house in St Peter Port which was burnt out on Sunday evening said he was 90% sure that children had caused the blaze.
* A black Piaggio scooter was set alight at Cambridge Park between 6pm on Saturday and 11.30am on Sunday.
The blaze damaged a black Ford Fiesta which was parked nearby.
* Anyone who can help with inquiries can call police on 725111 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Article posted on 25th March, 2008 - 2.30pm
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