Building goes up in flames after 'dangerous' man set fire to sofa

This was the moment (click to play above) when a block of flats went up in flames after a 'dangerous' man set fire to a sofa.

The man set fire to a sofa that had been left in a stairwell by another resident who was struggling to move it into their property.

It quickly spread and all residents had to be evacuated to safety, including one person who had to be rescued by the fire service.

‘Dangerous’ man set fire to sofa

Emergency services were called to Eccleston House, in Aiken Street, Bristol, in the early hours of October 20 2022 after flames could be seen from the street.

While a number of people needed to be treated for smoke inhalation, nobody was seriously injured.

Investigation work by Avon Fire and Rescue Service confirmed the cause of the blaze was deliberate and Israel Baber was soon arrested.

Deliberate blaze

Baber - who lived within the complex - denied being involved but a jury found the 37-year-old guilty of one count of arson which recklessly endangered life.

The fire was started just after 6am, and footage - viewable above - from CCTV and doorbell cameras showed Baber moving around the building at that time.

Baber claimed he was in his flat at the time it started, but a reconstruction of his claimed movements proved he was not telling the truth.

Fire damage worth £450,000

The prosecution was also able to demonstrate to the jury that the offender would have been a man of a similar height and build to Baber and wearing similar clothing.

The cost of the damage is estimated to be more than £450,000.

Baber has been remanded in custody ahead of his sentencing hearing, which will take place at Bristol Crown Court on Monday March 24.

Senior investigating Officer, DCI Laura Miller, said: “Baber’s actions were hugely dangerous and make no mistake could have led to a much worse outcome on another day.

“The design of the building is such that residents were able to safely exit down a different staircase, but this should not downplay the seriousness of what Baber did.

“The fire understandably caused residents a lot of alarm and Baber has refused at any stage to take accountability for his reckless actions.

“This was a complex investigation but the comprehensive enquiries conducted has led to today’s conviction.”

Officer in the case, DC Michael Tarling, added: “It would be wrong not to draw attention to the community response to this this incident.

“Everybody came together with rest centres set up, with support from Bristol City Council, at Tawfiq Masjid and Centre and St Patrick’s Catholic Church. This provided people who had to quickly evacuate with a place to keep warm and shelter.

“The support and engagement of the local community during our investigation has been instrumental in achieving this conviction, and we want to publicly recognise that because we are hugely grateful.”