Just after midnight on Monday, a car burst into flames on Violet Close in Benwell, Newcastle, near the site of the October 2024 explosion that killed seven-year-old Archie York and 35-year-old Jason Laws. Northumbria Police are treating the blaze as suspected arson.
Community Panic and Flashbacks
Residents, many of whom have returned to their homes after the devastating blast, were woken by the sound of the fire. One father, who wished to remain anonymous, described the terror: "There was a lot of smoke, the car was well alight. Everyone heard it, they all came out. My son and daughter thought it was all happening again. They were shaking and everything. We are all trying to move on and then something like that happens."
The 57-year-old added that local children were so distressed that half of them did not attend school on Monday. "Half the little ones didn't go to school on Monday because they were up all night."
Background of the 2024 Explosion
The original explosion occurred on October 16, 2024, when an illegal cannabis shatter production operation caused a massive blast. Cannabis shatter, or butane honey oil, is made by using liquid butane gas to wash cannabis buds, extracting a potent substance. The process is highly dangerous due to butane's flammability; a gas buildup in the flat triggered the explosion.
Reece Galbraith, 33, of Rectory Road in Bensham, Gateshead, was convicted of two counts of manslaughter, producing cannabis, and being concerned in the supply of cannabis. He was sentenced to 14 years in prison.
Police and Fire Service Response
A Northumbria Police spokeswoman said: "Just after midnight yesterday we were alerted by the fire service to a vehicle alight in Newcastle. Emergency services attended the scene and the fire was extinguished. The vehicle was unoccupied and no injuries were reported. Whilst enquiries are ongoing, it is being treated as suspected arson."
A Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service spokesman added: "We can confirm that in the early hours of Monday morning two fire appliances attended an incident in Newcastle’s West End. The emergency call was received by our Fire Control Team at 12.07am and two crews from Newcastle Central and Swalwell Community Fire Stations were dispatched to the residential location. The incident involved a single vehicle that was alight upon the arrival of the firefighters. The crews used two hose-reels to extinguish the fire alongside two firefighters wearing breathing apparatus. We are working with blue light colleagues from Northumbria Police to determine the cause of the fire, and no persons required medical assistance during the incident. The firefighters left the scene at 12:27am."
Ongoing Impact on Residents
The father noted that the trauma lingers: "My kids are still jumpy. Anything that happens gives them flashbacks. Everybody still feels the effects. I just keep thinking, what if something else is going to happen. It just gives you a flashback of that night. You never get over something like that. We are still trying to get over it, and when something like that happens it takes you back."
Anyone with information should contact Northumbria Police quoting reference number NP-20260629-0017.
