Roof workers set fire to three houses
WHEN Heather Phelps left builders working on her house, she hoped to come back to find the problem had been sorted.
But a builder tasked with repairing her leaking gutter ended up accidentally setting fire to the roof – and those of two properties either side.
Witnesses said they saw a workman sent by Merlin Housing Society using hot bitumen and a blow torch as he relined the concrete guttering.
The next thing the shocked onlookers knew, the roof felt was aflame and the fire quickly spread to the adjoining three-bedroom houses on Mill Crescent, Westerleigh.
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Merlin Housing is now investigating whether the subcontractors were following the correct health and safety procedures.
Miss Phelps had been living at Number 4 for 19 years, with son Louis, 18, and partner Chris Harding, who had recently moved in.
But the fire gutted the house, their possessions have been destroyed and they will have to be re-homed.
The 44-year-old had been out shopping with her mum last Friday lunchtime when she got the call from next-door neighbour Belinda Standbridge urging her to get home.
"When I got back and saw what was happening I ran down the street screaming, with my mum in her wheelchair," she said.
"By the time I got to my house there was nothing left. I've lost everything. "I'm still in shock about what's happened."
Over the weekend the couple stayed at Mr Harding's parents in Peasedown St John and now Merlin is looking into new accommodation.
But the couple have complained that the housing association has been slow to react, failed to come out over the weekend and the couple have had to do most of the "chasing".
Miss Standbridge's house at Number 2 was also badly damaged. She shares it with her children Josh, 21; Georgia, 18; Jacob, 15; and Noah, 13, and springer spaniel Beanie.
Miss Standbridge, 45, said: "I was in bed asleep for 20 minutes once the fire started. The smoke alarms didn't go off. The fire brigade said the batteries were low and they were also faulty.
"Luckily my neighbour Ashling saw what was happening, found my daughter and she woke me up just in time. Our loft has been destroyed and I've lost a lot of family possessions. The rest of the house is badly smoke-damaged."
The third house – now unliveable – is owned by an elderly woman who lives there with her son.
The Post understands none of the affected residents had contents' insurance, but they will be able to claim for their losses through the contractor's insurance.
Avon Fire and Rescue spokesman Darren Bane said: "We're satisfied that this is an accidental ignition, started by builders working on the roof."
A Merlin spokesman said: "Our understanding is that a sub-contractor of ours was carrying out repairs to the guttering of 4 Mill Crescent when the fire started and spread to Number 6. We have launched a full investigation to determine whether the correct procedures were being followed.
"We have been working with the residents from numbers 4 and 6 Mill Crescent to help them in the aftermath of the fire. Staff visited and spoke with them on Friday afternoon, when we offered to pay for them to stay in a hotel for the weekend. We were in contact with them again on Monday and Tuesday this week to help find them suitable alternative accommodation that meets their needs and some short-term compensation to allow them to buy food and clothes.
"All of our properties are fitted with smoke detectors, but we ask residents to check them every month to make sure they are working properly. We fitted new, mains-wired, battery backed-up smoke detectors to Number 2 Mill Crescent when we rewired the property in 2010 and tested them in June this year as part of an annual heating inspection, when they were working properly."
Comments
by lolly60
Thursday, September 13 2012, 8:51PM
“@MrTeds2001
We were talking about Merlin nothing to do with Bristol,and Housing Associations and how their rent is a lot more with them than a Council house”
by MrTeds2001
Thursday, September 13 2012, 5:02PM
“ok lets get one thing straight. Housing Associations rent is certainly over priced. a shared house in easton is £125 a week in some places. this is because they get FREE housing Benefits - whilst destroying houses supplied to them FOR FREE. the money pays for support workers and Housing officers who get paid pittance for the hard work they do - the cost of maintaining these properties is a crazy amount and no Housing Association in bristol make profits. all extra money goes back to the tenants and there welfare. if you disagree this is because you know very little or next to nothing or your just one of these bums that sits around all day on housing benefits!”
by Jonnyfandango
Thursday, September 13 2012, 10:39AM
“lolly60 - Ok you win Housing Associations are evil, over priced and completely in it for themselves as all charities are. They are not regulated and can get away with making as much profit as they like and all the staff enjoy extremely high bonuses and commission.”
by BristolDJ
Thursday, September 13 2012, 10:36AM
“@Lolly
But council rents and HA rents are heavily subsidised in comparison to private rents! That you must surely agree on? And having no shareholders, means by definition, no dividends therefore any profits are reinvested as there is nowhere else for it to go!
Also @fang.. rents have nothing to do with the recession, it's to do with a massive shortage of private housing available to buy/rent therefore prices are on a massive increase. The selling off of Social housing and the huge provision of social housing to every man and his dog is another cause. It's an utter disgrace.”
by Cyclista
Thursday, September 13 2012, 10:27AM
“I also work for a local Housing Association, I am a Tenancy Support Worker.
The fact that Housing Associations and Residential Social Landlords generally charge considereably more than local councils is no indication that they are making a profit.
At present there is what is known as a Rent Convergence, this will bring into line the rents charged by Housing Associations and Residential Social Landlords with local authorities.
http://tinyurl.com/8w6qjs2
http://tinyurl.com/9b6udvl”
by Bristolexpat
Thursday, September 13 2012, 9:58AM
“Skilled Labour using correct methods
Correct tools & equipment
Fire Blankets
Fire extinguishers
Standby man
emergency/escape Plan
I wonder how many of the above were in place when these Cowboys rode into town......”
by lolly60
Thursday, September 13 2012, 9:50AM
“@Jonnyfandango
If you look at rent prices you will see that most HA charge a lot more than a council property rent and that is fact not fiction as some of my friends live in both types of these accomadation as well as private renting .So i can spout of facts to you .And the rent prices have noting to do with the current recession because its always been this way they(H A ) have always charged more in rent”
by Jonnyfandango
Thursday, September 13 2012, 9:20AM
“@ lolly60 - Im sorry Lolly but that is nonsense. Sounds like your friends are angry at their rent increases, despite having heavily subsidised rent in comparison to someone renting in the private rental market.
They are speculating and it's total rubbish, and you really shouldn't come on publinc forums spouting things as fact becasue your friends 'told you it was true'.
The rents increase because we are in the midst of the biggest recession this country has seen for 70 years.”
by Frenchayvoice
Thursday, September 13 2012, 12:39AM
“Merlin, Merlin the wizard magically put these roofs back on!!!!!”
by lolly60
Wednesday, September 12 2012, 11:20PM
“Most HA are out to make some sort of profit otherwise they wouldnt charge so much in their rents , I know a few people that rent from them and they say that they do .”