YOUTHS allegedly responsible for a major blaze at a derelict care home have chillingly warned that ‘homes will be next’ according to a worried resident who is calling for urgent action from police.
Wednesday marked the fourth fire in as many weeks at the former Belmont care home on Lamb Lane, Monk Bretton, with crews from Cudworth, Barnsley, Tankersley and Dearne fire stations spending more than four hours tackling the blaze.
Due to the severity of the flames, a spokesman from South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue said an aerial appliance had to be drafted in from Sheffield to extinguish the fire from above.
Teenage gangs have been blamed in recent weeks and a resident, who did not wish to be named, told the Chronicle the situation is becoming more dangerous.
“The building has been empty for years and it’s so easy for the teenagers to access it,” they said. “They get in, start fires and run off it’s a stone’s throw away from houses occupied by families with young children, as well as elderly residents.
“When we’ve gone out to challenge them we get verbal abuse and it’s almost like they know that because they’re under 18, they can keep getting away with it.
“We’re frightened they will turn their attention to the houses next as they’ve threatened that it will be us next when we’ve confronted them.
“So far they have carried out everything they have said as at first it started with antisocial behaviour and starting small fires, then the care home, so who knows what they will do next.”
Derelict buildings have long been magnets for arson attacks, according to Coun Margaret Sheard, who cited similar issues at the former Butcher’s Arms pub in Monk Bretton and Dorbren House, Grimethorpe, which were both deemed structurally unsafe due to the number of fires.
“It’s something we’re discussing at local crime meetings as it’s a big concern for both councillors and residents who live nearby,” she added. “We can’t have them living in fear as it has been going on quite a while.
“We’re unsure who it belongs to but the council’s looking into this and if the structure is unsafe, which you would think it would be, relevant action will be taken.”
Police are set to discuss the matter at the area’s next crime meeting, which will be held at The Grove, Royston, on Tuesday at 10am.
Simon Dunker, group manager at South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue, added: “This was a large, empty care home. We got the fire under control fairly quickly but it had spread into the roof which, due to the structure of the building, made firefighting slightly more complicated.
Fortunately our aerial ladder platform meant we were able to fight it from above.
“We left just after midnight yesterday and were at the scene checking every few hours throughout the night to make sure the fire hadn’t re-ignited.”
A fire investigation started yesterday morning.
