Doorbell camera footage captured the moment a stranger appears to deliberately set fire to a mum's home before knocking on neighbours' doors as flames took hold. Holly Cham, from Bootle, has shared the footage with the ECHO after telling how her home was left "destroyed" in the early morning blaze.
Footage shows man entering garage before fire begins
The footage appears to show a man entering the family's garage before emerging just seconds later as a fire begins to take hold. He can then be seen walking along the street and knocking on neighbours' doors before returning to Holly's home and knocking on the front door.
The footage appears to show the man remaining at the property as Holly's partner moves the car from the driveway, before going back inside the house. The man subsequently appears to walk Holly's partner away from the property, with his hand placed on his back.
Fire spread to family home causing extensive damage
Holly, who was away with her two children at the time of the fire, previously told the ECHO the stranger had tried several neighbours' gates before getting into her garage at around 2am on Monday, August 24. She said: "Our Ring doorbell camera picked everything up. He was knocking on our door, and the neighbours' doors, acting like he just walked past and saved everyone."
"The fire was already massive; the garage was ablaze about 30 seconds after he lit it." The fire spread from the garage into the family's two-storey semi-detached home, causing extensive fire, smoke and water damage. Holly said the garage was completely destroyed, with the intense heat also damaging the roof and gutters. Water pipes and electricity were also affected.
She said: "The garage is burned to pieces, it's just ashes now. Everything inside is gone: all the kids' stuff, bikes, tools, the fire pit, so on." "The whole house has got really bad smoke and water damage. I've lost almost everything in the house. We tried to clean one area, and it's just so bad. I haven't been able to sleep."
Arrest made and fundraising appeal launched
Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service confirmed crews were called to the property on Clemmey Drive at 2.18am. Two fire engines attended and firefighters found a two-storey brick-built semi-detached property involved in fire. Two firefighters wearing breathing apparatus were deployed and a hose reel jet was used to tackle the blaze. The main body of the fire was extinguished by 2.39am.
Gas and electricity to the property were isolated, while the neighbouring home was checked for smoke spread. Merseyside Police said the fire was believed to have started within a garage before spreading to the adjoining property. A 31-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of arson with intent to endanger life. He has since been released on conditional bail pending further enquiries. There were no reports of any injuries.
Holly and her children are now staying with friends as she said their home is "uninhabitable". Her son Ethan, who has autism and other health conditions, has found the sudden upheaval particularly difficult. Holly said: "He's not coping well. He is finding the changes really hard. It’s all overwhelming at the moment. We're just trying to clear out as much as we can."
The mum, who runs a cake business from home, also lost the equipment she relied on for her work, including ovens, mixes, cake boxes and tools. She said the situation has been made even more difficult because her home insurance had expired earlier this month. In a fundraising appeal, Holly said she had forgotten to renew the policy while dealing with her son's health problems and the summer holidays.
She said: “I know it's my responsibility as a homeowner, but I just completely forgot to renew the insurance.” “The mortgage lender might kick us out, so whatever I have left on the house, I'm going to have to pay for them for the rest of my life. Either that or I'll have to file for bankruptcy.”
A GoFundMe appeal has now been launched to help Holly and her children rebuild their lives. She said: "I'm not someone who usually asks people for help. I've always tried to deal with things myself because I never want to be a burden. But sometimes life puts us in situations we simply can't overcome alone." She added: "A massive thank you to everyone who has already helped us with clothes, donations, toys and everything else. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for supporting us during this incredibly difficult time."
A Merseyside Police spokesperson said: "We had a report from MFRS in the early hours of Monday August 24 of a suspicious fire which is believed to have started within a garage and spread to the adjoining property." "There were no reports of any injuries." "A 31-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of arson with intent to endanger life. He has been released on conditional bail pending further enquiries."
Anyone unable to donate has been asked to share the family's fundraising appeal to help it reach more people who may be able to support them. Anyone who is able to donate can do so here.
