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| Firefighter dies tackling blaze | Firefighter dies tackling blaze |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| A firefighter has died and three others are missing after a suspected arson attack at a warehouse in Warwickshire. | A firefighter has died and three others are missing after a suspected arson attack at a warehouse in Warwickshire. |
| Up to 100 firefighters and five ambulance crews were called to the vegetable warehouse in Atherstone on Stour, near Stratford upon Avon. | Up to 100 firefighters and five ambulance crews were called to the vegetable warehouse in Atherstone on Stour, near Stratford upon Avon. |
| The blaze, on the Atherstone Industrial Estate, is believed to have started at about 1845 GMT on Friday. | The blaze, on the Atherstone Industrial Estate, is believed to have started at about 1845 GMT on Friday. |
| A search of the building for the missing firefighters, who are feared dead, is due to take place. | |
| Police said they were treating the blaze, which was still raging in the early hours, as suspicious and the county's chief fire officer said it was a building "where we would not expect a fire to start". | Police said they were treating the blaze, which was still raging in the early hours, as suspicious and the county's chief fire officer said it was a building "where we would not expect a fire to start". |
| 'Worst night' | 'Worst night' |
| Fire crews from Warwickshire, Herefordshire and Worcestershire and the West Midlands were called to the blaze. | Fire crews from Warwickshire, Herefordshire and Worcestershire and the West Midlands were called to the blaze. |
| The fire was still raging well after midnight | The fire was still raging well after midnight |
| West Midlands Ambulance spokesman Murray MacGregor said he understood "large parts" of the roof had collapsed and said the three firefighters who were unaccounted for had not been seen since early in the evening. | West Midlands Ambulance spokesman Murray MacGregor said he understood "large parts" of the roof had collapsed and said the three firefighters who were unaccounted for had not been seen since early in the evening. |
| Matt Wrack, general secretary of the Fire Brigades Union, said it "could be the worst night for the fire service in decades". | Matt Wrack, general secretary of the Fire Brigades Union, said it "could be the worst night for the fire service in decades". |
| Mr McGregor said the Warwickshire and Northamptonshire Air Ambulance had been called into operation, to be ready to fly anyone with serious burns to a specialist unit at Selly Oak Hospital in Birmingham. | Mr McGregor said the Warwickshire and Northamptonshire Air Ambulance had been called into operation, to be ready to fly anyone with serious burns to a specialist unit at Selly Oak Hospital in Birmingham. |
| He said the firefighter who died had been taken to Warwick Hospital following attempts to resuscitate him as soon as he was brought out of the building. | He said the firefighter who died had been taken to Warwick Hospital following attempts to resuscitate him as soon as he was brought out of the building. |
| The firefighters tonight were heroically doing their job William Brown, chief fire officer, Warwickshire County Council | The firefighters tonight were heroically doing their job William Brown, chief fire officer, Warwickshire County Council |
| He said he understood there were no warehouse workers caught up in the fire, but said he had not had this confirmed. | He said he understood there were no warehouse workers caught up in the fire, but said he had not had this confirmed. |
| He said: "This is a very large and complex incident. | He said: "This is a very large and complex incident. |
| "The fire is extremely intense with large quantities of smoke. The level of smoke has caused problems for all of the emergency services. | "The fire is extremely intense with large quantities of smoke. The level of smoke has caused problems for all of the emergency services. |
| "Large parts of the roof of the building have collapsed, which does raise serious concerns about the well-being of those firefighters. | "Large parts of the roof of the building have collapsed, which does raise serious concerns about the well-being of those firefighters. |
| 'Deeply shocked' | 'Deeply shocked' |
| "It must be absolutely dreadful to know that colleagues you have fought fires with are perhaps no longer with us and clearly our hearts go out to all those involved." | "It must be absolutely dreadful to know that colleagues you have fought fires with are perhaps no longer with us and clearly our hearts go out to all those involved." |
| William Brown, Warwickshire Fire and Rescue's chief fire officer, said: "We are deeply shocked by tonight's tragedy. | William Brown, Warwickshire Fire and Rescue's chief fire officer, said: "We are deeply shocked by tonight's tragedy. |
| "Our hearts, thoughts and prayers go out to the families and friends of our firefighters. | "Our hearts, thoughts and prayers go out to the families and friends of our firefighters. |
| Firefighters from across the West Midlands were called to the scene | Firefighters from across the West Midlands were called to the scene |
| "The fire service has a strong family tradition - it is a close bond which allows us to do our work, often in difficult and sometimes in dangerous circumstances. | "The fire service has a strong family tradition - it is a close bond which allows us to do our work, often in difficult and sometimes in dangerous circumstances. |
| "The firefighters tonight were heroically doing their job. | "The firefighters tonight were heroically doing their job. |
| "Our thanks go to our colleagues in the emergency services, the police, ambulance and of course our cross-border firefighters, who have worked with us and supported us through this terrible night. | "Our thanks go to our colleagues in the emergency services, the police, ambulance and of course our cross-border firefighters, who have worked with us and supported us through this terrible night. |
| "Tonight has been one of those events that firefighters all over the world dread and it's happened to us here in Warwickshire." | "Tonight has been one of those events that firefighters all over the world dread and it's happened to us here in Warwickshire." |
| Asked why the fire was being treated as suspicious, he said: "This fire has started in a building where we would not expect a fire to start. | Asked why the fire was being treated as suspicious, he said: "This fire has started in a building where we would not expect a fire to start. |
| Our thoughts are with our colleagues in the fire service today and with the family and friends of the firefighter who has died and those who are missing Ch Supt Mak Chishty, Warwickshire Police | Our thoughts are with our colleagues in the fire service today and with the family and friends of the firefighter who has died and those who are missing Ch Supt Mak Chishty, Warwickshire Police |
| "We don't know what has caused the fire. | "We don't know what has caused the fire. |
| "And we just approach it from that position - treat it as suspicious to start with and find out why this fire started." | "And we just approach it from that position - treat it as suspicious to start with and find out why this fire started." |
| Ch Supt Mak Chishty of Warwickshire Police said a full investigation into the cause of the fire had already begun and investigators from the police and fire service would be examining the scene after daylight on Saturday. | Ch Supt Mak Chishty of Warwickshire Police said a full investigation into the cause of the fire had already begun and investigators from the police and fire service would be examining the scene after daylight on Saturday. |
| He said: "Our thoughts are with our colleagues in the fire service today and with the family and friends of the firefighter who has died and those who are missing." | He said: "Our thoughts are with our colleagues in the fire service today and with the family and friends of the firefighter who has died and those who are missing." |
| Local resident Ben Shimmin, who lives in a village near the scene of the fire, told BBC News the warehouse was on the site of a disused airfield, with the nearest houses about three-quarters of a mile away, but there were other industrial buildings nearby. | Local resident Ben Shimmin, who lives in a village near the scene of the fire, told BBC News the warehouse was on the site of a disused airfield, with the nearest houses about three-quarters of a mile away, but there were other industrial buildings nearby. |
| He said he became aware of the fire when he lost his water supply, with water being diverted to use to fight the flames. | He said he became aware of the fire when he lost his water supply, with water being diverted to use to fight the flames. |
| He said: "From the road you can quite clearly see the blaze above the tree line and above the roof line of the building. | He said: "From the road you can quite clearly see the blaze above the tree line and above the roof line of the building. |
| "There's a lot of smoke, and obviously a lot of police presence." | "There's a lot of smoke, and obviously a lot of police presence." |