This was the dramatic scene in the centre of Burnham-On-Sea early on Sunday morning (July 5th) as firefighters tackled a ‘deliberate’ blaze.
Crews were called to Victoria Street at just before 2am where the wooden hoardings around the former Tuckers Garage site were alight.
Flames shot into the air, as pictured here, until Burnham firefighters extinguished the blaze with several hose reel jets. They said the fire had been deliberately set.
Local residents are concerned that the fire could have spread to nearby properties.
Alex Turco, director at Positive Wealth Creation Limited, which is based nearby, told Burnham-On-Sea.com: “We are deeply concerned by Sunday morning’s fire, the latest of a recent series of anti-social behaviour incidents in the north of the town centre.”
“We call on all relevant authorities, including the Police, Councils and Councillors, to engage with this deteriorating situation and to take immediate action.”
Town Centre Manager Bev Milner Simonds told Burnham-On-Sea.com: “I have been liaising with the Police and Clean Surroundings over the past 10 weeks about the use of the Tuckers Garage site by a vagrant and more recently young people. It is a further blow to the traders at the northern end of the town centre that this large site has suffered this damage. I will be in contact with the site owners and other local parties on Monday to press to get the hoarding reinstated as soon as possible.”
Sunday’s incident comes just weeks after Burnham-On-Sea.com reported here about safety concerns at the site.
The owner of the site – property developer Abracore – was last year given the go-ahead to build 35 ‘retirement apartments’ in two blocks of three-storey buildings at the site, but there has been no progress in starting construction.
Anyone with information on Sunday’s incident that could help the Police with their investigation should contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
The site was previously occupied by Tucker’s Garage and petrol station, which was demolished eight years ago this month, as we featured here.
Pictured: Top, the blazing hoardings at the Tuckers Garage site at 2am on Sunday and, above, the charred remains later in the day
