A woman is in hospital after a suspected arson attack in a residential building in Oxford.
The fire broke out just after 12.05am on Sunday, in the front door area of a second-floor flat in the 14-storey Plowman Tower on Westlands Drive in Headington.
A woman in her thirties was found asleep in the flat and taken to hospital, where she is being treated for smoke inhalation.
The entire building was evacuated. About 100 residents waited outside as 30 firefighters tackled the fire and ventilated the building in a two-hour long operation.
John Nixon, Incident Commander for the Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Services, said: ‘I would like to praise the residents of the tower block that evacuated the building in a calm and methodical manner.’
Although initially unsure of how the fire started, Thames Valley Police now suspect arson and are appealing for witnesses. According to the latest press release, “Detectives are investigating the motive and whether an accelerant was used to start the fire.”
