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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

House fire and police

28 replies

Lukat · 29/07/2013 22:29

Hi, just over a week ago we (me, dh,dd13,dd8)was sadly woken at 4am by a huge fire started in between my house and neighbours house.... It's an area not used by the public and was not started by a electrical fault etc.... Fire officer has said it was under suspicious circumstances, so called the police.
They came and to be honest are not one but interested, they asked if anyone has a grudge against us, we said no (not as far as I know) he then gave us the advice which was.... Keep looking over your shoulders!!!
So, aibu to take this further and complain.... Would it getus anywhere?
I am struggling to sleep and have panic attacks.....

OP posts:
littlewhitebag · 29/07/2013 22:32

I am sorry this has happened but if the police (and you) have no idea why anyone would do this then i don't really see what they can do. What would you be complaining about?

DeepPurple · 29/07/2013 22:36

I'm not really sure what else you think they can do? It could be kids messing around and thus a one off that you'll never figure out. Or it could be someone with a grudge. If you have no idea how can the police know? Fire damages any forensic evidence so there wouldn't be anything for them to have examined.

What would you be complaining about?

Sorry you had to go through that. Blaming the police won't help though!

Sirzy · 29/07/2013 22:36

What a horrible situation I hope the damage wasn't too bad.

Unfortunately if you and the neighbour have no idea who could have started it and they have no other leads then it makes it very hard for them to investigate.

Original poster
Lukat · 29/07/2013 22:37

The police won't find out (via fire investigation officer) how it was started.... If it was a discarded cigarette I know we have to let it drop, if it was naked flame...what about house to house enquiries, a couple if young neighbours came home from clubbing 10 minutes before we was women by the fire.
Am I just looking for answers? This has messed us up big time.... I know we should thank our lucky stars we are all still alive, but I can't help but wonder why....Hmm

OP posts:
Original poster
Lukat · 29/07/2013 22:39

They can do forensic test to see what the source of ignition was and estimated time.....

OP posts:
Tiredtrout · 29/07/2013 22:47

But lukat if there are no witnesses, CCTV, or forensics how are the police to find an offender for an arson on a piece of land. Fire investigators tend not to get involved unless there is serious damage, which from you description it doesn't soundlike.

Original poster
Lukat · 29/07/2013 22:53

Sorry I am being hazy....I'm in a right state.
There are shops across the road with CCTV... Maybe worth a look.
As for damage, apart from emotional damage we have lost the right hand side if our home, it has to be re built, it depends what you call big damage.
This is my home, which we work hard to keep so I am biased.

OP posts:
Tiredtrout · 29/07/2013 23:27

Sorry damage to your house and having to rebuild is serious, I must have missed it in your op

Footface · 29/07/2013 23:33

Sorry op, that sounds awful. Yanbu the police should be doing more, like you sat checking with neighbours or CCTV, at least it's a arartb

Original poster
Lukat · 29/07/2013 23:38

Tired trout- I never really explained properly, I do think its mostly emotional trauma that's affecting me the most.... Fire is one of my worst fears... Before this happened.Hmm
If I was told it was a freak accident like a discarded cigarette or floating lantern etc I would accept this and deal with it, I feel I need to know if it was deliberate... Who would do this to us? Hmm

OP posts:
cozietoesie · 29/07/2013 23:39

Won't your insurance company's own fire investigators want to get involved - and also, give you advice on future action to take?

Original poster
Lukat · 29/07/2013 23:40

Don't get me started on the insurance.... They want me to count the bricks which are damaged.... That's just for starters, they are being awful to us.... Hmm

OP posts:
Xihha · 29/07/2013 23:46

Could it have just been teenagers or dunk idiots wanting to have a fire to sit round and it got out of hand? It happens on the green outside our flat a lot, still irresponsible of them and pretty scary but at least there would have been no malicious intent.

Original poster
Lukat · 29/07/2013 23:50

It's soooo hard to explain the area, I will try.
Imagine a cul de sac with 4 houses, 2 on one side and the other 2 opposite.
No public pass by, the only people that pass my house isn't neighbours.
So, the fire was between me and that neighbour.
So hard to explain. Hmm

OP posts:
Original poster
Lukat · 29/07/2013 23:51

*is the neighbours

OP posts:
Buzzardbird · 30/07/2013 06:31

It sounds as though a discarded cigarette would be likely, it has been so dry up until yesterday and you mentioned some clubbers walking past?
your insurance needs to get off their butts and come and assess the damage. You could find out from the fire station if they will be investigating. They are the experts.

MrsKeithRichards · 30/07/2013 06:42

What an awful time you are going through. It sounds like you might not get the answers you are looking for

Tiredtrout · 30/07/2013 09:01

I'm sorry Lukat that sounds terrible, when the police came out did any of them say about your crime reference number as they would most likely be the investigating officer. They would have been on nights, it would be worth chasing them up but fires are incredibly difficult things to investigate

zipzap · 30/07/2013 10:36

Sounds very scary.

COuld you speak to the companies over the road yourself that have cctv to see if they could see anything relevant on them? Worth doing sooner rather than later as lots of them are on loops I think, rather than piling up years worth of footage. So you don't want to discover that by the time you go to ask them or the police get there that they would have been able to help but they are on a week's loop or whatever and the relevant bit has been overwritten...

At least then you will be able to console yourself that you are doing whatever you need to do, to find things out yourself. And if they say they will only release it to the police then you can go to the police and say that there is cctv footage, please could they request it, and it might help to sort out what happened and thus lead to an easy arrest and therefore a good thing for their crime figures if they do, which might help encourage them!

Tiredtrout · 30/07/2013 20:15

How are you today lukat?

Original poster
Lukat · 30/07/2013 21:47

I'm ok thanks, another sleepless night.... Thinking of what to do.
I think I am just going to have to leave it as I don't think I'll ever get the answers I want.
I just wish I could erase the memories of that terrible morning.Hmm
Thanks for your concern. X

OP posts:
Nicknacky · 30/07/2013 22:23

Did the fire service actually say it was wilful? The police won't investigate it if has been deemed accidental

Original poster
Lukat · 30/07/2013 22:28

The fire service said that as there is no obvious reason like electrical, bar b q storage etc and where the fire was, that they have to see it as deliberate.
Or a discarded cigarette, however as nobody should of passed by its unlikely to be that... No one has admitted to throwing a cigarette.

OP posts:
Unexpected · 30/07/2013 22:28

Is it possible that it was the neighbours returning from clubbing and dropping a cigarette who caused the fire if they only returned 10 mins before the fire?

Original poster
Lukat · 30/07/2013 22:31

Unexpected - I don't think he smokes but can't be sure, so possibly. I would like to think that he would of said so.... But then again, the damage and hurt it caused, maybe not.
In a way I hope it is the case but I hope they say so, I would sleep at night knowing it was a mindless accident.

OP posts: