Police investigate fire at South Park Care Centre Darlington

Emergency services were called to the former South Park Care Centre on Lakeside in Darlington just before 3pm on Sunday (February 11). 

Firefighters wearing specialist breathing apparatus entered the property as young people were seen entering earlier in the day. 

No one was injured during the incident - with the fire service confirming that the young people weren't inside during the incident.

The fire service was at the scene for around three hours, before leaving at about 6.30pm on Sunday.

On Monday (February 12), images showing the extent of the damage to the building were released - which showed scorch marks on parts of the building and a police van still at the scene of the fire.

The care home was closed after it was branded ‘inadequate’ by inspectors in 2016 and went into administration.

At the time dozens of residents had to be relocated and 40 staff faced the prospect of redundancy.

The care centre’s closure was blamed on cash flow issues due to low numbers of residents at a site that could house 67 people.

Alongside the scorch marks, the disused building has had metal sheets up at the windows to prevent anti-social behaviour in the building. 

Alongside the police car remaining at the scene, County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service has confirmed that an investigation remains ongoing to establish the cause. 

A spokesperson for the fire service said on Monday (February 12): “Shortly before 3pm yesterday (Sunday) we were alerted to a fire at a disused care home on Lakeside in Darlington.

“A total of five fire appliances attended the scene and firefighters wearing specialist breathing apparatus entered the property to tackle a fire on the ground floor.

“The fire was extinguished, and the property searched to ensure no one was inside.

“Firefighters left the scene shortly before 6.30pm.

“CDDFRS are working closely with Durham Constabulary to establish the cause of the fire.”

On Sunday, Michael Pearson, group manager of County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service, said the fire was being viewed as a possible arson although he could not be certain.

He said: “When we got there part of the ground floor had a reasonably sized fire going and that filled the building with smoke.

“We very quickly got the fire under control and then it was a case of progressing throughout the building making sure there was no one in.

“We had information that several youths had been seen entering it but not coming back out.

“That was our priority, to make sure that there was no one still in there.

“It took a while to do a thorough and full complete search, which we have done, and there was no one in there.

“We were equipped for the worst case scenario but no one has been hurt thankfully.”

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The ambulance service confirmed that no one was taken to hospital during the incident.

A spokesperson for the North East Ambulance Service said: “We received a call to 999 at 3.09pm this afternoon to reports of a fire at a derelict building in Darlington. 

“We sent two Hazardous Area Response Teams, a tactical manager and a clinical team leader however no patients were on scene requiring treatment.”