Community Rallies After Market Harborough House Fire

A community has rallied round to support a family who lost virtually all their possessions in a house fire in Market Harborough.

Residents say they are offering help in any way they can following the blaze on Carroll Street on Saturday afternoon, which badly damaged one home, caused the roof to collapse, and affected a neighbouring property on the Wellington Place estate.

No-one was injured in the fire and the family have been provided with emergency accommodation.

The blaze on Carroll Street on Saturday afternoon caused the roof of one house to collapse

Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service received numerous emergency calls about solar panels on the roof of the house being on fire and have confirmed an electrical fault in the loft caused the blaze, however due to the severity of the damage it cannot confirm whether it was specifically linked to the panels.

At its height, firefighters from Market Harborough, Wigston, Birstall, Central, Eastern and Southern fire stations attended the scene, supported by an aerial ladder platform.

Crews wearing breathing apparatus initially tackled the blaze from inside the building but were forced to withdraw due to concerns over structural stability.

The fire on Saturday afternoon

The houses on the street were built by developer Taylor Wimpey around two years ago, and the incident has led to concern about solar panels on other homes.

Harborough councillor David Page says his thoughts are with the families affected and he is seeking reassurance over the safety of solar panel installations on homes in the area:

The blaze on Carroll Street on Saturday afternoon caused the roof of one house to collapse, and affected a neighbouring property

The family are residents of East Midlands Homes (emh) and Chris Jones, Executive Director of Housing and Development said: “We were extremely concerned to hear about this incident; the safety of our residents is our top priority.

“We took immediate steps to provide the family with as much support as possible and will continue to do so, while also assisting the fire service with their investigation. In addition, we have checked on the wellbeing of immediate neighbours.”

A spokesperson for Taylor Wimpey said: “We are aware of a fire which occurred at a property on Carroll Street in Market Harborough and extend our sympathies to those affected.

“We are supporting Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service with their ongoing investigation and are unable to comment further until the investigation has concluded.”