Investigation launched after man dies in Luton fire
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Emergency services have launched an investigation following the death of a man in a fire in Luton.
The fire broke out at a block of flats in Green Court at around 4am this morning (Thursday).
A man in his 50s from Luton has sadly been pronounced dead at the scene.
Five police officers who responded to the incident were taken to hospital, while a firefighter was treated by paramedics at the scene.
One of the police officers suffered serious injuries and remains in hospital, while the others were treated for minor injuries and smoke inhalation and have been discharged.
Around 100 people living at the affected tower block have been evacuated and are being supported at various locations nearby. Everyone has been accounted for.
The fire has now been extinguished and police and the fire service are working on an investigation to establish what happened, as well as to make the block of flats safe so people can return to their homes as quickly as possible.
Bedfordshire Police Assistant Chief Constable Sharn Basra said: “It is always sad when someone loses their life in a tragedy like this and my thoughts are with the loved ones of the man who sadly passed away.
“This is also a stark reminder of the huge dangers the emergency services face every day. I want to thank everyone for their bravery and dedication in responding to this incident, in which one of our officers has been particularly badly injured.
“This will also have an impact on the community in the area. I can only imagine how frightening this must have been for those living in this block of flats and I am grateful that this incident has not been even more serious.
“We are all doing everything we can to support those who have been affected and trying to get the area back to a semblance of normality as quickly as possible.
“It is great to see everyone pulling together and the community spirit we see in Luton never ceases to amaze me. If there is anything the police can do to help, then please don’t hesitate to ask.”
Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service Area Commander Stuart Auger said: “We received a call around 4am this morning (21/04) to a fire in a flat on the fourteenth floor of a high rise building in Green Court, Luton.
“Ten appliances attended from various fire stations as well as from Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service. Crews worked quickly to extinguish the fire using 24 firefighters with breathing apparatus.
“The fire was successfully contained to the flat thanks to the efficient performance of the building’s fire protection measures and fire doors. Thanks to this we were able to work alongside Bedfordshire Police to efficiently evacuate all residents from the building with the help of smoke hoods.
“Fire Investigation Teams are working alongside Scenes of Crime Officers to investigate the cause of the fire. Our thoughts are with the loved ones of the person who sadly passed away and we will work with partners to reassure the community over the coming weeks and months.”
Cllr Tom Shaw, Luton Council’s portfolio holder for housing, said: “Our thoughts are with those who have been affected by this terrible incident at Green Court, Hockwell Ring early this morning and our thanks go to the first responders who worked to quickly extinguish the fire in a small, isolated area of the flats.
“There is no indication that cladding was in any way a factor.
“Our teams have been working to ensure the safety of the residents who had to be evacuated and taking care of individual needs while police carry out their investigations.
“We are providing support at one of our community centres until they will be able to return to their homes.
“We ask people not to speculate or share images of the incident as it may cause distress to those involved.”
Further details regarding the incident at Green Court, Luton, yesterday morning (Thursday) in which a man died.
The man, who is in his 50s, died after falling from the window on the 14th floor of the block during a fire which led to more than 100 residents being evacuated from their homes. The majority of those affected were allowed back into their flats by Thursday evening.
Detectives investigating three attempted arson attacks at properties in the area in the early hours of Wednesday morning had identified an occupant of the flats as a suspect through CCTV enquiries. As part of the ongoing investigation, a team of five officers, from Response and CID, were deployed to a flat on the 14th floor at 4am on Thursday.
However, on arrival officers were confronted with a fire at the entrance to the flat.
The officers tried to gain entry to the property to get the occupant to safety, but were overcome by the fire. One of the officers in particular suffered serious burns and remains in hospital. As the fire took further hold of the flat, the occupant fell from the window and sadly died. While formal identification is still yet to take place, we have made contact with next of kin of who we believe him to be, and specialist officers are supporting his family.
As with any case which involves serious injury or death following police contact, the matter was immediately referred to the Independent Office for Police Conduct and we continue to work with them to ascertain all of the facts.
Assistant Chief Constable Sharn Basra said: “This is a tragic case and we are working hard to establish all of the facts of what took place. Our focus yesterday was identifying the man who had died and tracing his family members before we released any further information publicly.
“We also have been carefully recovering all possible evidence from the scene and assisting residents who had been displaced from their homes.
“What is clear from evidence collected so far, is the bravery of the attending officer who tried to fight through the flames to save the man inside. Our thoughts remain with both him as he recovers in hospital and the loved ones of the man who sadly died.”
Anyone with any information which may assist the investigation is asked to call 101 quoting Operation Cheagle.