Mistakes were made after fire, council concedes

The leader of Stoke-on-Trent City Council has said the authority could have communicated with residents and volunteers better after a fire broke out, destroying four homes in the city last week.

The fire service was called at 16:15 BST on Thursday to a fire on Sandy Road that spread from Sandyford Park.

Two people were arrested on suspicion of arson. They have since been bailed, an official cause is still yet to be revealed and one fire fighter remains in hospital.

Jake Burgess, secretary of Golden Hill Working Men's Club which opened its doors to help those affected by the fire, said: "The support from the council has been pretty much non-existent."

The club received donations on behalf of the families affected by the fire but had to stop due to the volume of offers.

Describing the course of the events that night Burgess said: "It's gone from a little bit of smoke in the air to families being in the club... breaking down in tears".

"What can you say to these people? It's so hard when they're sat there going 'my animals, my belongings'. It's been a bit of a roller-coaster."

Speaking about the council's response to the situation to BBC Radio Stoke, council leader Jane Asworth said: "Some of it has been very good and some of it could have been better".

She agreed that volunteers like Burgess were "working like dogs" to help those affected.

When asked what the council could have done better, the leader said: "they didn't get the proper contact which respected the role they were taking."

"The council made a mistake in not supporting the community centre and club properly".

Despite conceding that communication could have been better, Ashworth said the council had acted swiftly in other ways, such as getting residents into accommodation on the night of the fire, liaising with the fire service, bringing in building control, street cleaning and security.

Paul Reeves lost his back garden and garage in the fire, though the home itself was largely untouched.

He said his father's ashes were buried in the back garden and a headstone marking the site had been charred in the blaze but mostly escaped severe damage.

"It was frightening. I was terrified," he said of seeing the fire take hold.

Asked how seeing the damage made him feel, he said: "I'm glad because it's not as bad as next door. I'm just grateful for the fire brigade."

He said he was watching everything unfold at the top of Sandy Road on Thursday, adding that everybody was in tears.

Chris Murchison, a resident on Maureen Avenue, said his home was also affected by the fire.

He was in nearby Kidsgrove when he found out about the fire and could see the smoke as he returned home.

"I've never seen anything like it, neighbours were just distressed," Murchison added.

The house itself was OK, he said, but his shed and garden were "completely gone".

"You're thankful that your house is OK, but it's just a bit of a shock really."

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