Two held in 'arson' pobe after hostel blaze kills four
Detectives were questioning two men today in connection with a suspected arson attack at a bail hostel which killed four residents.
West Midlands Police detained the suspects following the blaze which swept two rooms at Fairlawns Hotel in Birmingham.
Three men and a woman were in two ground floor bedrooms at the rear of the property which were engulfed by flames on Sunday evening.
Police and fire forensic experts remained at the three-storey building today trying to establish the cause of the tragedy.
The property lies along Hagley Road in Edgbaston, one of the city’s busiest commuter routes, which was sealed off in both directions as police officers stood guard outside the premises.
The Fairlawns is one of many hotels and hostels along the road providing accommodation for defendants involved in court proceedings as well as homeless.
It is understood there is room for around 50 residents, though only around 20 were in the building when the alarm was raised shortly before 9.10pm.
At the scene today, Detective Chief Inspector Russell Smith described the fire as “very severe”.
He said: “We are treating this fire as suspicious and, obviously, treating the deaths as suspicious.
“Two of the rooms at the rear of the hotel are completely gutted as a result of the fire. There is very severe smoke damage to both rooms.”
One suspect, a bearded middle-aged man, was seen being led away by officers from the adjacent Dormy Hotel earlier today before he was driven away in a patrol car.
Mr Smith would not say why the men had been arrested, adding only that they were helping detectives with inquiries.
Asked about the nature of the accommodation, Mr Smith replied: “It is at the lower end of the market in terms of budget. You get a lot of people from various backgrounds staying here.”
Mr Smith said residents reacted “very well” once the alarm was raised with the majority evacuating the building within minutes.
Firefighters rescued one resident from the first floor and led a number of others to safety.
Mr Smith added: “The staff were very good and I am pleased that it did happen at that time of night. This could have been catastrophic had it happened later.”
One former resident, who had stayed at the hostel for a fortnight last month before Birmingham City Council moved her to newer accommodation a short distance along the road, expressed her shock at the deaths.
Kim Farrell, 37, said: “It is scary to think I could have still be staying there when this happened.
“I think it is absolutely terrible what has happened and I couldn’t believe it when I heard.”
