Four people have been rushed to hospital following a major blaze at a property in Grangetown, Middlesbrough, with armed police and seven fire engines at the scene. The North East Ambulance Service confirmed the casualties were taken to James Cook University Hospital for further treatment.
Emergency response to the blaze
Cleveland Fire Brigade sent seven fire engines to the scene just before 6am on Wednesday, August 26. The incident is currently ongoing, and road closures are in place with a Cleveland Police presence at the scene. Damage can be seen to the roof of the property.
A North East Ambulance Service spokesperson said: "We were called to a fire at a private address in Grangetown, Middlesbrough at 5.17am on Wednesday, August 26. We dispatched five ambulance crews, one specialist paramedic, two clinical team leaders, one duty officer, one HART resource (Hazardous Area Response Team). Four patients were taken to James Cook University Hospital for further treatment."
Context of recent tragedy
The town has been rocked by tragedy in recent days, following the A66 crash that killed seven people on Saturday morning (August 22). Two police officers and five men were killed in the head-on collision near Middlesbrough. Cleveland Police said a Volkswagen Passat was heading in the wrong direction on the dual-carriageway and hit a marked armed response vehicle.
Pc Matthew Blades, 37, and Pc Tom Clough, 38, were the officers killed in the crash. Those in the Passat were Cole Worthy, 17, Theo Rae, 17, Makai Saddington, 18, and 23-year-olds Michael Robert Cahill and Jacob Matusiak. They were pronounced dead at the scene at South Bank.
Official reaction and ongoing investigation
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."
Cleveland Police have been contacted regarding today's incident. No further information on the seriousness of the injuries of the four victims of the blaze has been released.
