'Severe' flat fire in Brownhills High Street 'started deliberately'

The blaze broke out at a home on Brownhills High Street shortly before 8pm on Monday, causing the entire flat to be damaged by smoke and about 60 per cent of it to be damaged by heat.

The business below the flat - The Sewing Room - suffered some smoke and water damage.

A photo posted on social media showed flames and black smoke pouring out of the windows of the first-floor flat.

A spokesperson for West Midlands Fire Service said: "We were called at 8pm last night to reports of a fire. The initial response was three fire engines, from Bloxwich and Aldridge stations, together with colleagues from Cannock. This was a severe fire in the living room of the first floor flat in a two-storey building with a business below.

"Firefighters had to wear a breathing apparatus and use hose reel jets. Afterwards they used the ventilation equipment to enter the flat of smoke and fumes. The fire is believed to have been started deliberately and the police were in attendance."

A West Midlands Police spokesman said officers are now investigating a "suspected arson attack" at the flat.

"It’s understood a fire was started inside a home which was broken into. Thankfully no-one was injured," he said.

West Midlands Ambulance Service was also called out and send an ambulance, a paramedic officer and a HART paramedic.

A spokesman said: "However, on arrival it became there were no patients at the scene and we were stood down."

Anyone with information or who saw anything suspicious is asked to contact West Midlands Police via Live Chat on the force's website, quoting crime ref 20/391576/22.