Police are investigating a suspected arson attack after a fire ripped through an elderly County Durham couple’s allotment on Sunday night causing extensive damage to their property.
Shocking video footage of the blaze shows the flames tearing through the rear of the allotment in Bowburn, County Durham.
The fire took hold shortly after 8.20pm on Sunday (July 24) evening at the allotment next to Bowburn South Industrial Estate and emergency services attended the scene.
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Annabel, 75, and Gordon, 78, Dunbar, who have lived in Bowburn for over 50 years, could only watch on as their plot was devastated by the flames.
The Dunbars' daughter Clare told The Northern Echo: “Thank you to the person who saw the fire and rang the emergency services. I live a couple of villages away and came straight down and the fire brigade has just finished putting it out.
“Everything is black and the fence in one corner is going to need totally replaced.”
It is understood two trees in woodland behind the garden also caught light, but firefighters managed to stop the flames from spreading.
It is the latest in a spate of fires in the village over the last few weeks, after a blaze at the Durham Amazon warehouse.
A County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service (CDDFRS) spokesperson said: “Reports of a fire in the open at Bowburn, Durham, came into CDDFRS at 8:21pm yesterday (Sunday 24th July).
"One appliance from Spennymoor attended the incident. They left the scene at 8:32pm.”
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“We are working with our partners to reduce secondary fires in the area which involves the crews engaging with the local community to highlight the dangers of these types of fire.
"We monitor statistics to recognise any trends in areas that we are receiving high numbers of calls too. These fires tie up resources, sometimes for long periods which means they may not be available for life risk calls should any occur within this time.”
Clare added: “There have been a few things going on recently and fires started and it’s getting to the point that someone is going to get hurt. My parents have lived here 50 years and have never had anything like this until a couple of years ago.
“It’s quite nerve-racking, you don’t know when something is going to happen.”
A spokesperson for Durham Police said: “Police were called at 9.05pm yesterday (July 24) to a fire at allotments next to Bowburn South Industrial Estate.
“The fire is being treated as arson and an investigation has been launched”
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