The fire saw people escape through windows and balconies
The moment a fire consumed part of block of flats on Marsh House Lane in Warrington(Image: Jeanette Phoenix)
There is no scheduled return date for families whose lives were placed in turmoil after a horrific blaze ripped an apartment block apart. 50 people were rescued from the burning Rynet Court on Marsh House Lane in Warrington on June 2 as firefighters worked to save people by helping them escape through windows as black smoke filled the sky.
The ECHO spoke to several families who said two dads ran into the burning building to save children from the blaze, with one dad also having to lower his two-year-old son from the window of their family flat in a bedsheet as the smoke filled the stairwell.
In footage, flames could be seen coming from the roof of the block, with families living in the block of flats telling the ECHO how there were no fire extinguishers available to help them tackle the blaze. Many raised concerns about the fire provisions in the building following the fire that has left many homeless.
A 10-year-old boy was arrested on suspicion of arson and has since been released on bail as Cheshire Police conduct a joint investigation with Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service.
Your Housing, the company in charge of the building, has now said there is no expected return date for the families who have been left homeless as a result of the fire. In a statement issued to the ECHO, a spokesperson said: “Since the fire at Rynet Court, our priority has been to ensure all of our residents have suitable temporary accommodation.
“All residents are currently being supported by a dedicated Your Housing Group Customer Liaison Officer and are being kept regularly updated. We are working closely with Warrington Borough Council and other partners to help residents access support services to make sure they are as comfortable as possible.
The Emergency Services at the scene on Marsh House Lane(Image: Andrew Teebay Liverpool Echo)
“It is too early to say how long it will be before residents can return home safely; however, our teams are working to understand the extent of the fire damage and what remediation will be required.
“We would like to extend our sincere gratitude to everybody who has helped and supported those who have been impacted; the fire service and police, the residents themselves, the wider community, volunteers, our local partners including Warrington Borough Council, and our colleagues. People and community are at the very heart of Your Housing Group and the strength of community we’ve observed since the fire has been truly heartwarming.”
One family also told the ECHO it is contemplating legal action, with it also being confirmed earlier this month there were no fire extinguishers or sprinklers in the block of flats.
In a four-page document issued to the ECHO and other journalists after multiple questions were asked about the fire safety provisions in the building, the housing company defended decisions to also have no audible fire alarm system in the communal areas of the building.
The document said: “On Tuesday 2 June at around 5.20pm, the fire alarm system at Rynet Court detected a fire and alerted the authorities. The system also triggered other safety measures, including the opening of a vent at the top of the stairwell to let smoke escape and maintain clear escape routes. This significantly reduced the volume of smoke that got into people’s homes.”
Responding to claims fire alarms in the building failed to work, a spokesperson said each flat had its own smoke alarms in the hallway and kitchen which tell people when there are fires in their own home. But when there is a fire in the building, it is intended for the fire to be contained and for people to “stay put” in their homes unless smoke prevents them doing so.
The spokesperson continued: “There is no fire alarm that sounds throughout the building alerting everyone all at once as this is not required. They are safest when they are in their homes, rather than on stairwells and in corridors.”
Robbie Wilde, 33, from Warrington
This comes after a fire risk assessment in February this year, the housing provider said.
The reason put forward as to why no sprinklers are in place is due to them not being a requirement for the building due to it being below 11 metres in height and the plan fire plan not relying on evacuated residents through communal areas. In response to why it does not have fire extinguishers, this is due to it not “normally considered necessary” to provide fire extinguishers or hose jet reels in a block of flats as the equipment should only be used following training.
Robbie Wilde is a member of one of several families who live in the building, with him at home with his partner Chantelle and two-year-old son Robbie Jr when the fire broke out. It was their daughter, Darcie-Jo, who raised the alarm while she played with her friend downstairs, her parents unaware anything was happening at all.
The 33-year-old spoke to the ECHO while he and his neighbours stood outside their fire-damaged homes. He said: “I went out to see if you could get out [the building] and you couldn’t even see in front of you. All you could see was smoke and flames.
“I went back into the flat and threw the double mattress from our bed out the window. I then put my two-year-old in a bed sheet and lowered him down.
“There was someone on the balcony below ours who helped lower him down onto the mattress. This was before the fire brigade arrived at the building.”