Emergency services are at the scene of a serious house fire on Birchington Avenue in Grangetown, near Middlesbrough. Seven fire engines and police officers are in attendance, and a cordon is in place.
Birchington Avenue and Leighton Road are closed while crews deal with the incident. Cleveland Fire Brigade sent seven fire engines to the scene just before 6am, and Cleveland Police is also in attendance.
Road closures and police cordon
Birchington Avenue and Leighton Road in Grangetown are currently closed while officers and emergency services respond to the fire at a property. Cleveland Police has asked people to avoid the area and use alternative routes.
An armed police officer is standing guard at the scene, and a police cordon is in place. Two of the seven Cleveland Fire Brigade vehicles are visible at the scene, including an aerial platform.
Damage to the property
Images from the scene show scorch marks around the upstairs window and the door of the house where the fire broke out, while guttering appears to have melted.
Cleveland Fire Brigade said the brigade was called at 05:23 on 26 August to an incident on Birchington Avenue, Grangetown. Crews are dealing with a house fire, with six fire engines and the Incident Command Unit at the scene.
Official response
Councillor Adam Brook, Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods at Redcar and Cleveland Council, described the incident as "very serious". He said on his Facebook page: "A very serious incident is ongoing on Birchington Avenue in Grangetown this morning. My thoughts are with everyone affected, and I sincerely hope that everyone involved is safe. Please avoid the area where possible and allow our emergency services the space they need to carry out their work safely. My thanks go to all of the emergency service personnel responding at the scene. Please follow official channels for further updates."
The incident remains ongoing, and further updates will be provided when available, according to the brigade.
