Cause of Boston flats fire determined, but families still without homes

An apartment block in Boston which was deemed unsafe after a fire caused by discarded smoking materials will be demolished.

The fire at a block of 11 flats on Charleston Terrace, Haven Village, Boston on Tuesday, July 20 resulted in more than a dozen people being evacuated.

The building was later deemed unsafe and by Thursday afternoon contractors had arrived on scene with specialist equipment to start demolishing the buildings. It is expected to be a slow process as they want to make sure it’s done safely, according to BBC.

A spokesperson for Lincolnshire Fire & Rescue said: “The fire at Charlston Terrace has left the building structurally unsafe so we will be unable to carry out a detailed fire investigation.

“However, information from the crews who attended initially has led us to conclude that this fire was started initially by some kind of discarded smoking materials outside the building. In the hot dry conditions, this has ignited quickly and spread to a gas source, allowing fire into the building.”

Among those who lost their homes in the fire was Anna Wasilewska, who had lived in one of the flats for six years with her sons Brian, 7, and Mateusz, 6.

Both her sons have autism and don’t speak much, but Brian managed to run and warn his mum that the block of flats was burning down on Tuesday and the family were able to escape to safety.

The family are currently staying in a friend’s spare room for now, while the local community has already started fundraising for them and raised nearly £2,000 in two days.

For Anna and other families, Boston Borough Council will give advice and assistance where it can, but according to BBC Look North there aren’t any empty houses available, so in the short-term they will need to stay in hotels and B&Bs.

Christian Allen, Assistant Director of Regulatory Services at Boston Borough Council, previously said: “I am eternally grateful that there have been no injuries or worse due to this fire and my thoughts are with the families who have lost their homes and their possessions in such horrible circumstances.

“Firefighters and Council Building Control Officers are still at the scene. Fire damage to the London Road block of flats in Boston is thought to be so severe that the building will most likely be demolished.

“The building has been deemed structurally unsafe meaning access at this time is restricted to emergency response personnel only. Our officers are working with the fire service and other experts to decide how best to make the building safe.

“Our thanks go to the fire service personnel and Council Officers who have responded to this tragedy. My sympathies are with the families who have lost their homes in this awful blaze.”