Sheffield homeowners fear arsonist is on the loose after string of deliberately-started fires in Beighton

Last week, The Star reported on a serious blaze at Woodhouse Court in Beighton on July 30, when a bin was deliberately set on fire, which spread indoors. The resident who discovered the fire said it was “terrifying” and felt if it hadn’t been found sooner people could have lost their lives.

However, a Beighton resident has now come forward to say their home has been targeted four times in 2024 - and pointed to a string of other fires reported on the Beighton Community Facebook Page.

The resident - who asked not to be named - said: “I think there is an arsonist on the loose.”

The homeowner in Tye Road says the strange goings-on began for them on February 24 when they woke up to find the sensor on the electric car gate melted.

This was strange enough - except it happened again on April 24, and then again on June 4.

The resident said: “It’s such strange behaviour.

“My first thought whoever is doing it isn’t very well. I did a bit of an investigation with our CCTV and found a man with a carrier bag hanging about earlier in the day in June.”

However, at 1.45am on August 1, the homeowner woke up to the most serious incident yet.

She said: “We were dog-minding that day, which we don’t normally do. But the dog woke us up going crazy at 1.45am, and I saw this orange glow.

“Someone had climbed inside the gate and set fire to the paper recycling bin. It spread and completely destroyed our bike shed.

“It’s so frightening to see it escalate like this.

“I keep thinking if it weren’t for the dog we might not have known.

“I’m not sleeping very well now. It’s just worrying.”

The homeowner shared photos to the Beighton Community Page on Facebook from their CCTV of a man outside their home at 1.30am in an appeal for help.

However, it was here, alongside the fire in Woodhouse Court, she found she wasn’t the only one.

A fence was burned down overnight in Sothall Green on December 20, 2023. Then, overnight on April 13/14, the same homeowner had a polytunnel in their garden set ablaze.

Just before midnight on May 23, a car was set on fire in Manvers Road, and on June 3, at 5am, a garden fence was destroyed in Skelton.

It leads up to the fire on Woodhouse Court on July 30, and the escalating blazes at Tye Road on August 1.

For the homeowner on Tye Road, it has left them fearful someone is on the loose setting fires in Beighton.

However, South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue could not categorically say the incidents were connected.

A fire service spokesperson said: “Arson attacks such as these take up a large amount of our resources when they could be needed at life-threatening emergencies. These fires have the potential to spread to properties and could put life at risk. If residents have any information about people starting fires in their area, they can call FireStoppers anonymously, on 0800 555 111.”

A spokesperson for South Yorkshire Police said in a statement: “We take reports of arson incredibly seriously and we work with our colleagues at South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service to keep people safe and to find those responsible for starting fires deliberately.

“If you are worried about fires being started deliberately in your area, please contact us on 101 or 999 in an emergency. You can also submit information to us via our website, or anonymously via Crimestoppers at www.crimestoppers-uk.org.”