Man arrested on suspicion of arson after Yeovil hostel fire

PASSERS-BY alerted the emergency services to a fire in a Yeovil hostel in the early hours of Tuesday morning. 

Two fire appliances were called to Roman Way, on Hendford Hill, just after 3.30am where crews found a fire in a ground floor flat of a three storey building.

There was no-one in the sheltered accommodation at the time.

Crews used four breathing apparatus, one hose reel jet and one safety jet to extinguish the fire which investigators believe was started deliberately.

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A Devon and Somerset Fire Service spokesman said: “After initial investigations led the crews to believe the fire was caused accidentally, from an electric scooter charging unit, it was later established that the fire had been started deliberately.

“Moderate fire damage and severe smoke damage was caused to the flat and contents, no persons were injured and duty of care was left with the site manager and police.”

Wayne Baker, spokesman for Avon and Somerset Constabulary, said: “We were called by the fire service at about 4.30am to reports of a fire at a property in Roman Way, Hendford Hill.

“A 25-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of arson and remains in police custody.”

Roman Way provides accommodation for 11 people. The project is specifically for families and single people awaiting to be homed by South Somerset District Council. 

A spokeswoman for Barnabas Housing Association, which runs the hostel, said: “In the early hours of the morning there was a fire at one of the properties we manage within Yeovil.

“Thanks to the fast response of the emergency services who were on the scene within minutes, the fire was contained to one room and no one was injured."