Arson arrest over Telford house fire that threatened terrace row

Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service said it was working with other agencies at the scene

A woman has been arrested on suspicion of arson over a fire that threatened to spread along a row of terrace houses, leading to homes being evacuated.

The blaze, which started at an end-of-terrace home on Lawns Wood, Telford, at about 04:30 BST, spread to the property next door and left a teenage boy with injuries not believed to be serious.

A firefighter also suffered minor injuries in the incident.

Police said on Wednesday afternoon a 46-year-old woman had been detained.

Station manager Craig Jackson, from Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service, said the directly affected property had been vacant at the time and the first-floor blaze had quickly spread to the roof.

Firefighters and police evacuated residents living in the four adjacent terraced homes, he added.

Six appliances, including an aerial ladder platform, were at the scene

"Our main priority was to put a fire break in to make sure that the fire didn't spread across into those properties," Mr Jackson said.

"Unfortunately due to the intensity of the fire it has burnt through to the next one, and we were able to put a stop in then and save the other three."

The fire service said the stop message was received at 06:48 BST, meaning no additional assistance was require, but personnel remained on site to dampen down.

Some residents have been allowed back into properties and the fire service was "working with" residents of the most badly affected properties, Mr Jackson said.

The fire started on the first floor of an end-of-terrace property

West Midlands Ambulance Service said the injured boy was assessed and was given advice and discharged at the scene.

It added the injured firefighter was also discharged.

Brunel Road, which was previously closed by West Mercia Police to assist the operation, has now reopened.