Arson attack on Tipton flats forces families onto balconies

They gained access to the building through the back doors and set some cupboards in a storage room alight in the early hours of this morning.

One woman in her 20s smelled smoke and was able to wake the residents in the other five flats. No one was injured.

But they were not able to escape because the smoke was too thick, so they called 999 and firefighters advised them to wait on their balconies.

The woman, who asked not to be named, said: "I went upstairs and knocked on all my doors to tell them about the fire then called the fire brigade. We went out on our balcony because the smoke was so thick."

The woman said her husband tried to warn a neighbour downstairs but was knocked back by the intense smoke and heat. Another resident, Howard Roberts, aged 73, said he did know anything about the fire until he was alerted by his neighbour. "I was woken up by banging from my neighbour," he said.

"I could smell smoke and I thought I'd left my cooker on."

About half a dozen people had to take refuge on their balcony. Firefighter Paul Harpin said the residents were very lucky. This could have been very serious," he said.

"Fortunately the residents were still in their flats with their doors closed and that managed to restrict most of the smoke to the halls and communal areas.

"There was no way they could get out their front door so they were shouting each other from the balconies."

Firefighters from Wednesbury, Tipton and Bilston were called to the block of flats in Churchfield Avenue just before 4.20am and stayed at the scene until 6.30am.

"It was not too difficult to deal with," said Mr Harpin.

"It was just really smoke logged. It was mainly a case of just making sure everyone was accounted for and was okay."

The building suffered flame damage in the store room and smoke logging.