Neighbours set up appeal to help disabled woman after arson in Mansfield

The blaze broke out in fields near Maunleigh and Breckbank, off Barringer Road, Forest Town at about 3 pm on Saturday.

As it spread in the severely hot weather, properties had to be evacuated and roads had to be closed.

The fire service spent more than an hour bringing the smoke and flames under control and, thankfully, no-one was hurt.

But one house on Maunleigh, belonging to Kellie Gillott, 46, who is disabled, suffered considerable damage from the arson attack.

Her car and a caravan were destroyed, as was play equipment in the garden of the home next door, where Claire and Adam Smith live with their four-year-old son, Harrison.

Now the Forest Town community has rallied round to help, with a GoFundMe page set up by neighbour Stacey King at https://gofund.me/45e4fda9. It has already raised more than £700.

Stacey, who runs the Cravings street food bistro and bar on Outram Street in Sutton with husband Simon, said: “It could have been fatal. The houses could have been burnt beyond repair, but the whole street and the fire team did an amazing job.

"I’ve never witnessed such community spirit as neighbours ran around with hosepipes and buckets of water trying to control the fire until the six fire engines arrived on the scene.

"It was chaos, but the efforts of the street were incredible.

"Kellie’s house got the brunt of it. Doors and windows were blown out. Her car and caravan are gone. Even her bins were melted.

"She needs windows, doors and guttering replacing, and new carpets because of smoke and soot damage.

"The whole interior of the house needs gutting due to smoke damage, while her back garden is completely burnt to the ground. There is thousands of pounds worth of damage.”

Stacey continued: "Claire and Adam had their back garden and Harrison’s play equipment, including a play house, slide, swing and climbing frame, burnt to a crisp, as well as smoke damage inside the house.

"Harrison was so traumatised that he was too scared to return home.

"The family are having to pay emergency costs for accommodation, travel and food.”

Stacey was full of praise for Sutton electrician Dale Gratton, of Grattronix Electrical, who has restored the power at Kellie’s home free of charge. And she appeals for any other tradespeople to step forward if they can help.

Through Facebook, some people have even offered to donate toys to replace those Harrison has lost.

“Kellie, Claire and Adam are just feeling overwhelmed,” Stacey added.

"Their world has been turned upside down. What should have been a normal Saturday became the worst day of their lives.”

Claire, 36, and Adam, 33, said: “We’d like to thank everyone who took part in helping with buckets and hosepipes.

"It’s easy to focus on the crime, but what is more profound is the very real sense of community, especially with the money that has been raised for us.”

Police closed Barringer Road, Old Mill Lane and Ravensdale Road while the fire was brought under control.

Later, officers arrested a 19-year-old man and a 17-year-old boy on suspicion of arson. The boy was also arrested on suspicion of possessing cannabis with intent to supply. They were released on conditional bail as investigations continue.

Det Sgt Andrea Brown said: “Arson offences are very serious at the best of times. But in hot and dry weather, they pose an even greater risk to people and property.

"This was a very significant fire, and we are determined to get to the bottom of exactly what happened.

"We would like to hear from any witnesses who have not already spoken to officers, or anyone who saw anything suspicious in the Barringer Road area.

"They should call 101, quoting incident number 454 of August 13 2022, or the Crimestoppers hotline anonymously on 0800 555 111.”

Sgt Joseph Hall added: “This incident should serve as a reminder to everyone about the dangers of lighting fires in grasslands, especially in hot weather.”

Fire crews from Mansfield, Ashfield, Blidworth and Alfreton tackled the blaze, which was the latest in a series of field or forestry fires in north Nottinghamshire during the heatwave.

Station manager Richard Ellis, of Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service, said: “I would like to thank the crews and fire control for their hard work during this incident.

"Their efforts ensured the fire did not spread to more properties, and residents were allowed to return home quickly.”

The fire also brought into sharp focus the policy of Mansfield District Council to leave open spaces in the area unmown for several months to encourage wildlife and biodiversity.

Stacey revealed that residents had complained about the unkempt state of the fields backing on to Maunleigh. And now the council has agreed to cut back the grass to help reduce the risk of fires.

Mariam Amos, strategic director at the council, said: “Some areas have been deliberately left unmown for several months.

"It’s a difficult balancing act between creating habitats, where wildflowers and wildlife can thrive, and managing the potential for grassland fires to arise as the vegetation dries out.

"Mansfield has had an unprecedented dry, hot summer that has been a big problem, not only locally but also nationally.

"We will now be mowing these areas in the coming days, and we will be assessing how we can safely manage and maintain them for biodiversity reasons to reduce the risk of fires in the future.”

Ms Amos also praised the fire service, police and Forest Town residents for their efforts on Saturday.

She said: “It was a fabulous display of communities coming together in an urgent time of need.

"The council thanks everybody involved for their actions and bravery.”