Seven Rescued after Arson Attack in Shanklin Block of Flats

A man who was led to safety from a burning  building full of thick deadly  smoke has spoken and expressed his thank to the Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service,  Dave Dixon assistant Manager at The crab in Shanklin who has been left homeless along with his pal after fire ripped through the flats in Languard Road in the early hours of this morning. Speaking from outside the gutted property Mr Dixon at first  thought  it was all a dream as the choking smoked filled the stairwell on the property. [photoshelter-gallery g_id=”G0000Y9B6QSWGrYU” g_name=”Arson-Shankin” width=”800″ f_fullscreen=”t” bgtrans=”t” pho_credit=”iptc” twoup=”f” f_bbar=”t” f_bbarbig=”f” fsvis=”f” f_show_caption=”t” crop=”f” f_enable_embed_btn=”t” f_htmllinks=”t” f_l=”t” f_send_to_friend_btn=”f” f_show_slidenum=”t” f_topbar=”f” f_show_watermark=”t” img_title=”casc” linkdest=”c” trans=”xfade” target=”_self” tbs=”5000″ f_link=”t” f_smooth=”f” f_mtrx=”t” f_ap=”t” f_up=”f” height=”400″ btype=”old” bcolor=”#CCC” ] It is understood that Police have launched an arson probe after two seats of fire were discovered within stairs within the multi  dwelling property.  One resident also claimed a newly fitted  fire alarm system failed to alert them of the danger despite only benign fitted and tested a month ago. Seven people had to  been rescued by Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service after a blaze broke out in the early hours on this morning in the village of Shanklin on the  Isle of Wight. A night porter from the nearby Daish hotel raised the alarm after hearing an explosion and plums of smoke bellowing out of multi dwelling property just after three am this  morning. At the height of the blaze crews from across the island battled to stop the blaze from spreading to a Bed shop Police have yet to rule out if the man arrested high  on cocaine found going through papers at  near by hotel  and trying to stab himself with a pen is connected with the incident. A fire investigator and Dog team  from Hampshire  has been brought over to probe the blaze that  at it’s height saw around 40 firefighters, 7 pumping appliances and 2 aerial ladder platforms working to bring the blaze under control and stop it from spreading to connecting properties. https://youtu.be/itINW6fDAwI   Shanklin High Street and surrounding road were closed off in the early hours by Police to assist with Fire fighting  traffic was diverted but  these have since reopened.  Languard road remains closed.