Gosport firefighters scrambled to suspected arson in derelict former defence research site
FIREFIGHTERS from Gosport have been called to a fire in a derelict building, with ‘considerable’ black smoke seen from from across the area.
A fire crew from Gosport fire station was called out to the blaze in a building previously owned by defence research firm QinetiQ in Fort Road at about 5pm on Monday.
Attending fire fighters believe the fire – confined to a small room inside the building – had been started by arson, according to to crew manger Alex Hay.
He said: ‘There was a considerable amount of black smoke, visible from quite a distance.
‘It was a case of chucking a bucket of water inside to extinguish it.’
The firefighter called on the public to think about the repercussion of their actions, as the the suspected arson call-out comes during an exceptionally busy period for the emergency service.
Hampshire fire fighters have faced a 'massive' surge in outdoor fires with 484 blazes during the recent UK heatwave.