COVENTRY MESSAGE BOARD

Residents had to be evacuated from the building



Residents of a Coventry tower block had to be evacuated this morning as a "severe" blaze broke out 14 storeys high.

A 999 call alerted fire crews to the incident at around 6.30am, with 30 firefighters in six engines from four different city fire stations battling to get the flames under control.

The blaze had broken out in the kitchen and living room of a flat in Nauls Mill House - three floors from the top of the 17 storey building on Middleborough Road in Radford.

Seven people from the upper floors of the block were evacuated and checked out by paramedics from West Midlands Ambulance as officers from West Midlands Police also attended the scene.

Only one had suffered minor injuries and received treatment at the scene.

A spokesman for West Midlands Fire Service said: "We received a 999 call at 6.30am today to a 17 storey block on Middleborough Road in Coventry.

"We sent six fire engines to the scene, 30 firefighters, from Coventry, Canley, Foleshill and Binley stations. It was a severe fire on the 14th floor of a 17 storey block of flats.

"Firefighters wore breathing apparatus and they used one water jet to fight the fire and one safety jet to prevent it from spreading.

"The fire was in the kitchen and the living room of the flat but there was no spread to any other flats.

"The fire investigations team are on site investigating the case. Seven people were evacuated and were treated at the scene by the Ambulance service."

As the cause of the fire is yet to be confirmed, West Midlands Police are awaiting word from West Midlands Fire Service on how to proceed.

Woman appears in court over blaze at Coventry tower block

A woman has appeared in court accused of an arson attack at a Coventry tower block.

Ayesha Marshall has been charged with arson with intent to endanger life after fire crews from across the city tackled a blaze at Nauls Mill House in Radford on Friday, February 12.

It was described by West Midlands Fire Service as a "severe" fire which saw 30 firefighters involved in putting out the flames.

People were evacuated from the block as the blaze took hold of the 14th floor and seven people were treated by the ambulance service, though fortunately no-one was seriously hurt.

Marshall, 27, of no fixed address, appeared at Coventry Magistrates' Court today and the case was sent on to Warwick Crown Court for the next hearing on March 11.

She was remanded in custody until that date.

West Midlands Fire Service previously told CoventryLive: "Firefighters used one water jet to fight the fire and one safety jet to prevent it from spreading.

"The fire was in the kitchen and the living room of the flat but there was no spread to any other flats."

Woman who started blaze on 14th floor of Coventry tower block told 'consequences could have been catastrophic'



A woman who started a blaze on 14th floor of a Coventry tower block was told by a judge that the "consequences could have been catastrophic".

Ayeshia Marshall started the fire in her own flat in Nauls Mill House in Radford - deliberately putting the lives of other residents at risk - and has now been jailed.

Marshall had pleaded guilty at Warwick Crown Court to a charge of arson with intent to endanger life following the blaze which caused around £30,000 worth of damage.

The 28-year-old of Nauls Mill House, Middleborough Road, Radford, showed no emotion as she was jailed for five years.

Nick Berry, prosecuting, said that at 6.30am on February 12, in the middle of the lockdown and while residents were asleep, the fire service was called to the high-rise flats.

On arrival at the 17-storey block, they found there was a fire raging in Marshall’s flat on the 14th floor.

Marshall, who had been renting the flat from Citizen Housing since June last year, was not there.

Inside the flat fire crews found two areas of fire, one in the kitchen and one which had been started on the sofa in the living room before spreading to the kitchen.

There was also evidence of a further small fire started in a bag in the hallway, which had self-extinguished.

It took 30 firefighters with six appliances from fire stations across Coventry to fight the blaze, which could be seen from some distance away.

Fire investigators were still there when Marshall returned shortly after midday, and she claimed she had not been at the flat for four days, but that her keys had been stolen.

But CCTV cameras showed her travelling up in the lift at 6.15am that morning, carrying a bag and dancing and drinking in the lift on her way up.

Having put a doormat in the door of the lift to prevent it closing, she returned to it at 6.24am, without the bag, and went down, said Mr Berry.

After she was arrested, Marshall, who had no fewer than seven lighters on her, denied starting the fire, and maintained she had not been at the flat for four days.

She was shown the CCTV recording, but said she could not remember going to the flat, and again denied setting fire to the sofa or the bag.

Olivia Whitworth, defending, said: “We will never know why this offence took place.

“This is a young woman who had a difficult life. First in care at the age of two, she had a turbulent upbringing.”

Miss Whitworth pointed out that a psychologist believed Marshall may have been suffering from ‘some form of psychosis'.

But jailing Marshall, Judge Barry Berlin told her: “The reports suggest you have been taking illicit drugs over a relatively long period. It was drink or drugs rather than a mental state which caused you to do what you did.

“You deliberately, with intent to endanger life, set fire to your flat on the 14th floor of a block of flats with 17 floors.

“You set two fires, leaving the flat to burn and leaving families at risk and the fire service at risk.

“This was a deliberate and calculated act of arson and the consequences could have been catastrophic, but for the prompt and brave actions of the fire brigade.”

West Midlands Fire Service are currently in attendance at a fire that has broken out at a high-rise residential block on Middlesbrough Road in Coundon. The fire service have confirmed that the fire is located on the 15th floor.

The first crew arrived at the scene just before 8:50pm this evening, within two minutes of being mobilised. Seventeen response vehicles are at the scene, 13 of them are fire engines.

Currently, the fire service are unable to confirm the total number of people evacuated, however they did tell Coventry Live that three adults and one child have been evacuated from the 16th floor. They were led to safety by firefighters, who gave them specialist fire escape hoods which ensured a safe escape through smoky areas.

WMFS said shortly before 10pm on Saturday: "15 pumps are currently in attendance at a severe high rise fire in Coventry. The fire is reported to be on the 15th floor of a 16 storey block."

It has not been made public if emergency services have discovered the cause of the fire, or if there are any injuries.

Residents left struggling with 'not even cold water' in the aftermath of Nauls Mill House fire



Citizen Housing are currently holding a meeting to decide whether the electricity supply should be switched back on after a huge fire at Nauls Mill House in Coventry. A spokesman for Citizen Housing said they are creating a 'plan of action' for residents which involves deciding whether the 130 tenants will remain in the building or be temporarily rehomed.

A fire chief said Citizen Housing will also be discussing better measures to put in place if a similar incident happens again in future. He described the housing company as 'reactive' which means they only respond to issues when they happen rather than having contingency plans in place.

He added that electricians are currently at Nauls Mill House trying to get the power supply working again, but as water has seeped through the floors of the building this poses a potential risk as the supply may 'trip again'. It has caused major issues for tenants because the electricity system in the tower block means that all of the power supply must be switched off even if not all floors are affected which has left residents without electricity.

Speaking to CoventryLive, a resident who has lived in Nauls Mill House for several years, said she has seen 'five quite severe fires' happen during her time in the tower block. She recalled a blaze around ten years ago where the entire block also lost power.

Residents say they have been left 'in limbo' as the water and electricity supply is currently switched off which has left a mother-of-two having to leave the building to seek solace at the house of a friend. She said: "I have been struggling all morning (April 17) as the power is out and there is no water, not even cold water."

Firefighters said another woman, who suffers from arthritis and lives on the 14th floor, has been left stuck in her flat as the lifts are currently out of service and she has been unable to walk down the flights of stairs, which are still soaked with water.

It is understood residents located on the 14th and 15th floors of Nauls Mill House will be temporarily rehomed, but the meeting will decide whether this will extend to other tenants of the building whose homes have been affected by the blaze. Residents are expected to be notified of the decision about whether they will need to be temporarily rehomed this lunchtime.

Citizen Housing says residents may not have electricity until 'after the Easter weekend' after flats blaze



Residents at Nauls Mill House in Radford are likely to be left in the dark this Bank Holiday as Citizen Housing has confirmed the electricity supply may not be fixed until 'after the Easter weekend'. A spokesman for the housing company said they are currently in talks with Coventry City Council to find temporary accommodation for all residents in the tower block after the fire that hit on Saturday night (April 16).

Tenants may choose to stay at Nauls Mill House, however Citizen has said 'there is no power at all in the block' which has left residents in limbo. A mother-of-two has been struggling without power and water since this morning (April 17).

Speaking of her experience, she told CoventryLive: "I slept here last night, but there is no electricity this morning (Sunday) so I am going to stay with a friend." She added that she "wanted to come down" and was screaming for help as the flats had been plunged into darkness with the emergency lights seemingly not working. Another resident described the building as 'pitch black'.

A spokesman for Citizen said: "A fire started in one of the flats on the 15th floor at Nauls Mill House last night (April 16). The Fire Service, Police and Citizen teams were on site immediately to stop the fire and support customers.

"Thankfully, no-one has been hurt and the fire was mainly contained to the one flat. We are working with the Fire Service to determine the cause of the fire and we are working with Coventry City Council to find temporary accommodation for our customers who need it as currently there is no electricity in the block.

"We are working closely with Western power to investigate the cause of the power failure and to get the electricity on in the block as soon as possible. We expect this will now be after the Easter weekend. We’d like to thank our customers for their patience and the Police and Fire Service for their quick response and support."

Tenants in limbo after blaze at Nauls Mill House in Coventry



Citizen Housing have worked with Coventry City Council to find temporary accommodation for tenants of Nauls Mill House after an intense fire ripped through the building on Saturday (April 16) night. A spokesman for the housing company confirmed that there is 'still no electricity in the block' due to extensive water damage which occurred while firefighters were tackling the blaze - although some people have decided to stay there anyway.

Emergency food parcels are currently being provided for residents as the electricity being shut off has already caused tenants' food to spoil. Residents say they have been left 'in limbo' as the water and electricity supply remains switched off, which has left at least one mother-of-two having to leave the building to seek solace at the house of a friend.

A spokesman for Citizen said today: "All customers who have requested temporary accommodation now have it." They added: "A few customers have requested to remain in the block. We have been supporting them to ensure they are safe and have everything they need."

In terms of food parcels, they said: 'We have been offering these out to customers as we have been finding them temporary accommodation/updating them on the situation."

Yesterday (April 17) the mother-of-two told CoventryLive : "I have been struggling all morning as the power is out and there is no water, not even cold water." Speaking about the electricity, another furious tenant said: "What are we going to do with food people cannot replace?

"Last year there was a fire on the 14th floor, they should have learnt from that. I mean they should isolate the electric on the floors as there are no cut-off systems. Stupid."

Citizen say they are working with contractors to get the electricity back on 'as soon as possible' at Nauls Mill House. Yet they have not yet specified when this will be - leaving 'infuriated' tenants in the dark.

Currently, the police and the fire service are unable to determine the cause of the fire. This is due to its intensity, says a spokesman for Citizen Housing.