Big fire in Coventry... Breaking news

Looks like United Footwear and Nyanza car parts ablaze in Holbrooks



Sourced :Toni Marie from F/B "Make Coventry Safe" page

Old tyres if the amount of black smoke is anything to go by?

Fire hit Holbrooks factory will have to be knocked down



A factory that has been wrecked by a huge fire could be demolished as soon as tomorrow, say fire chiefs.

Fire bosses believe the shell of United Footwear, in Holbrook Lane, Holbrooks, is beyond repair after last night's blaze. Demolition crews are expected on site some time tomorrow to take down the wreckage of the building.

At its peak more than 100 firefighters were tackling the devastating fire and a huge plume of black smoke could be seen from miles around.

The cause of the blaze is still under investigation, which is likely to continue into tomorrow. No indication has yet been given as to whether it is being treated as arson.

Some plumes of smoke were still coming from the building this morning, with fire crews dousing the building while attempting to make it safe.

They are expected to be at the scene all day after originally being called at 4.30pm on Sunday.

Bosses of surrounding businesses have now been given permission to return to their premises and all road closures in the area have now been lifted.

United Footwear blaze is being treated as arson



The blaze that ripped through the United Footwear store in Coventry at the weekend is now being treated as arson.

Fire investigators have been sifting through the rubble at the warehouse in Holbrook Lane for the past three days and have now confirmed that they believe the fire was started deliberately.

West Midlands Fire Service have tweeted this evening saying: “Our investigators confirm that the large fire in a Coventry shoe factory at the weekend is being treated as arson.”

They also stated that West Midlands Police, who earlier said “there are some suggestions it may be suspicious”, are now formally investigating the fire.

The fire tore through the warehouse in on Sunday afternoon and more than 100 firefighters were called to tackle the blaze which broke out at around 4.30pm.

Thick, black smoke from the fire could be seen across the city and beyond.

The Telegraph previously reported that fire chiefs say it is almost certain the building will have to be demolished.

Since the site is privately owned, it is up to the owner to order demolition of the building.

Two years on: Inferno that destroyed Coventry warehouse still shrouded in mystery



Mystery still surrounds a devastating fire that ripped through United Footwear in Coventry two years ago today.

On May 3, 2015, the huge blaze destroyed the popular shoe outlet in Holbrook Road despite the best efforts of over 100 firefighters called to tackle the flames.

The fire started at around 4.30pm and a total of 16 fire engines and three aerial platforms were summoned.

The smoke could be seen from miles away and, as a result, more than 60 phone calls were made to the fire service.

Police immediately began investigating the circumstances around the fire and investigators spent three days sifting through the rubble at the warehouse before revealing that the fire was being treated as arson.

The remains of the warehouse can still be seen standing in Holbrook Road and a member of staff at United Footwear, which has other outlets around the Midlands, previously told the Telegraph that the Coventry site would be “rebuilt”, but was unable to say when.

The owners of United Footwear have been contacted for comment.

West Midlands Police have today stated that the investigation in to the fire is “still ongoing pending new information”.