THAMES Valley Police have arrested a 17-year-old male in connection with the fire at Red Cottage Drive, Calcot, which took place in the early hours of Friday, July 29.
Police say that he has been arrested on suspicion of arson with intent to endanger life.
In the early hours of this morning, Friday, July 29, fire crews were called to Red Cottage Drive, off Charrington Road.
Chief Inspector Emily Evans, the Deputy LPA commander for West Berkshire, said: “This was initially declared as a Major Incident, but thankfully, due to the swift actions of Royal Berkshire Fire & Rescue Service, South Central Ambulance Service and Thames Valley Police, nobody suffered serious injuries.
“However, sadly, a number of residents have been displaced and several properties have suffered damage, some of which is very significant.
“We have arrested a 17-year-old boy in connection with this incident while our investigation continues.
“I am appealing to anybody who was in the area last night and witnessed what happened to please get in touch with Thames Valley Police either by making a report online or by calling 101, quoting reference number 43220335883.
“If you do not wish to speak directly to police, you can also call the independent charity Crimestoppers 100% anonymously on 0800 555 111.
“Naturally, this incident has had a significant impact in the local community with a number of residents affected.
“They are being supported and work is ongoing to ensure those whose homes are badly damaged are relocated.
“There will be a considerable presence of police officers and investigators at the scene for some time as this investigation continues.
“The exact cause of this fire is still under investigation, and we are in the very early stages of this, and would urge the local community not to speculate, but contact police if you have any information that can assist.
“I’d be particularly keen to hear from anybody who may have CCTV, doorbell or dash-cam footage from around the time of the incident last night to please contact us and provide this to us.
“It is testament to the professionalism of our officers and colleagues in the fire and ambulance services that this incident was brought under control quickly and no-one was seriously hurt.
“I would like to thank the local community for their patience and understanding in supporting the evacuation while we dealt with what was a very serious incident.”
