A community in East Cleveland has come together following a serious incident that left several families without homes after a fire in Brotton.
The Brotton terraced house fire occurred in the early hours of 7 December, when four adjoining properties on Errington Street were badly damaged. Residents were forced to leave their homes as emergency services responded to the blaze.
Redcar and Cleveland Council has since been working to secure accommodation for those affected by the Brotton terraced house fire. At the same time, local councillors report an overwhelming response from members of the public offering practical assistance, including furniture and other essential items.
Councillor Barry Hunt described the incident as “an absolute disaster” while highlighting the scale of community support that followed.
He said: “The priority is no-one was hurt and the next priority is getting them re-housed and getting some stability back in their lives.
“My heart swells with pride for the public, people are giving when they have not got things themselves.”
Fellow councillor Graham Cutler visited the scene shortly after the Brotton terraced house fire and described the extent of the damage.
He said: “All the roofs were burnt across four properties, we have never seen anything like it.
“The homeless team at Redcar and Cleveland Council are trying to find homes for the five families.”
Emergency services were called to the scene at around 04.40 GMT. Cleveland Fire Brigade dealt with the blaze while police assisted with evacuations and cordons.
Cleveland Police later confirmed that the Brotton terraced house fire is not being treated as suspicious.
A spokesperson said: “Emergency services were called to a fire which had spread to four terraced houses on Errington Street in Brotton at around 04.40 GMT on Sunday.
“A number of residents were evacuated, and a cordon was put in place to allow our colleagues at Cleveland Fire Brigade to deal with the fire.”
