Fire investigation confirms farm blaze was arson attack

Fire investigators have revealed a large blaze started in a farm building in Holme was an arson attack.

The blaze, which started at 1.40pm on Saturday in Pingle Bank, saw more than 30 firefighters tackling the flames. The fire was only brought under control by 3.45pm, and crews were on scene until 9pm making sure the site was safe.

SEE MORE: Firefighters spend eight hours tackling blaze at farm building

An investigation has been carried out into the blaze, and today it was confirmed the fire was started deliberately.

The arson attack comes at the end of a long, hot, dry summer, where fire crews cross Peterborough and Cambridgeshire have been stretched to the limit.

A spokesperson for Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service said arson attacks such as this one put people’s lives at risk.

The spokesperson said: “The dry weather over the last few weeks has meant that we’ve been attending a higher number of fires than usual. At times this has stretched our resources to the max.

“It has been disappointing to find that a number of these fires have been started deliberately. Fires spread extremely quickly in these conditions and can soon escalate to large-scale incidents.

“If we are busy dealing with these incidents, our crews may be unable to help somewhere else, where someone could be having the worst day of their lives.”

Anyone with information about the arson attack – or others in the city – should call police on 101, or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.