Cause of huge Creswell blaze a mystery after ‘major incident’ saw residents flee 50 homes

Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service said it was alerted to the blaze off Fox Lane in Creswell at 3.15pm on Friday, August 12.

A total of 16 appliances, including 12 fire engines, went to the scene and a major incident was declared.

Around 50 properties across several streets were evacuated while firefighters brought the fire affecting three fields under control and extinguished the blaze.

A rest centre was set up in Creswell Events Centre before residents were allowed to return to their properties shortly after 7.30pm.

Group manager Darren Perrott, of Derbyshire Fire and Rescue, said: “Following a fire investigation, the exact cause of the fire at Creswell remains unknown.

“At the present time we are dealing with exceptional circumstances with heat and dry conditions meaning the risk of fire is highly likely.

"A fire can escalate rapidly impacting not only on our communities, but also on our emergency resources as we are tied up dealing with large incidents.

“We continue to repeat our warnings for people to take extra care during the heatwave - no barbecues in open spaces, be extra cautious disposing of cigarettes and ensure you don’t leave rubbish, particularly glass bottles laying around.”

Residents can report any information about deliberate fire setting anonymously to FireStoppers on 0800 169 5558, or online at firestoppersreport.co.uk.