Wordsworth Avenue fire: Man arrested on suspicion of arson following serious Sheffield house

Four people were present in a house on Wordsworth Avenue, Parson Cross, on Tuesday evening (March 21) when it went up in flames, with emergency services receiving reports of the blaze at around 9pm.

South Yorkshire Police are treating the fire as arson, and confirmed just a few moments ago that a 31-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of arson endangering life.

The man, whose identity will only be confirmed by police should he be charged with an offence, is currently being questioned by detectives, as the investigation continues.

A South Yorkshire Police spokesperson said: “Enquiries are ongoing and detectives are appealing for anyone with information that could assist with enquiries to come forward.”

CCTV footage seen by The Star captured an explosion at the house and how a car arrived and suddenly sped away in the moments after the fire broke out.

It has now emerged that one of the occupants of the house - a 42-year-old man - jumped from an upstairs window to escape the flames, breaking his leg as he landed on the ground.

All four people present in the Wordsworth Avenue property were taken to hospital following the blaze; and a 42-year-old man, a 47-year-old woman called Helen and her six-year-old daughter, Destiny, remain there today, receiving treatment.

A 17-year-old girl has since been released from hospital.

The family’s two pet dogs – a Japanese Akita and an American Bully – died in the horror blaze.

Helen’s son, Lewis Dabell, 23, has launched a fundraising appeal after revealing that everything in the family home was destroyed. You can donate here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/helen-destiny

Anyone who can help police with their investigation is asked to contact South Yorkshire Police through their online live chat, their online portal or by calling 101.

Please quote incident number 1041 of March 21, 2023.

You can access their online portal here: www.southyorks.police.uk/contact-us/report-something/

Footage should be emailed to [email protected] and please include the above incident number in the email’s subject line.

Alternatively, if you prefer not to give your personal details, you can stay anonymous and pass on what you know by contacting the independent charity Crimestoppers. Call their UK Contact Centre on freephone 0800 555 111 or complete a simple and secure anonymous online form at Crimestoppers-uk.org