Police are investigating whether a major fire that tore through multiple units at Thurmaston Shopping Centre in Leicestershire was started deliberately.<\/p>\n
The blaze broke out at the retail park on Barkby Thorpe Lane in the early hours of Saturday morning, prompting a major emergency response and causing significant disruption for businesses operating on site.<\/p>\n
Emergency services were called at around 4 am following reports of a large fire affecting several retail units. Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service has since handed the scene over to police and demolition teams as investigations and recovery work continue.<\/p>\n
While the cause of the fire remains officially undetermined, initial police statements indicated the blaze was believed to have been started deliberately. Officers have since said enquiries are ongoing to establish exactly how the fire began.<\/p>\n
Police are appealing for information from anyone who may have witnessed suspicious activity in the area or who has relevant CCTV, dashcam or mobile footage.<\/p>\n
Stores including PureGym, Superdrug, Boots and Sports Direct reopened later in the day on Saturday. Greggs, Starbucks and Marks & Spencer remain closed, while Mountain Warehouse and the Card Factory have been demolished.<\/p>\n
Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service deployed eight fire engines, two aerial ladder appliances and more than 40 firefighters to tackle the blaze, making it one of the largest emergency responses seen in the area in recent years.<\/p>\n
A large smoke plume was visible across surrounding neighbourhoods, with local residents advised to keep windows and doors closed while crews brought the fire under control.<\/p>\n
No injuries were reported.<\/p>\n
The incident has caused major operational disruption for retailers at the shopping centre, with businesses now assessing both the physical damage and wider commercial impact.<\/p>\n
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Major fire triggered a huge emergency response, collapsed part of a store’s roof and forced several major retailers to close<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":266702,"featured_media":2111834,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"coauthors":[127717],"class_list":["post-2111832","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-latest-news","tag-featured-story","tag-leicestershire"],"yoast_head":"\n