Fire at Birmingham tower 'started deliberately' as crews rush to scene

Fire crews dashed to the scene of a blaze at a Birmingham tower block this morning. The fire was believed to have been started deliberately in a stairwell of the nine-storey Bransford Tower.

Three fire engines and a 4x4 brigade response vehicle rushed to Vaughton Street in Sparkbrook just before 10.30am today, Thursday, November 28.

There were no injuries or casualties. Crews remained at the scene to ensure the site was safe.

READ MORE: 'Dangerous and untested' sex pills and laughing gas 'enough for 5,000 balloons' found in raid at city shop

A fire service spokesman told BirminghamLive: "Shortly after 10.20am, we responded to a high-rise building on Vaughton Street, Sparkbrook, Birmingham. Three fire engines and a 4x4 brigade response vehicle from Highgate, Ladywood and Bournbrook stations responded, the first arriving within two minutes of being mobilised.

"This was a small fire, believed to have been started deliberately, in a stairwell of a nine-storey residential building. The fire was extinguished by an onsite lift engineer before we arrived. There were no injuries or casualties. Two crews remain at the scene but we will be leaving this incident shortly."