Christmas Day fire treated as murder in Forest Gate
Firefighters tackle the blaze in Field Road, Forest Gate. Picture: London Ambulance Service - Credit: Archant
A murder probe has been launched following a fatal Christmas Day fire.
The body of a man, believed to be in his 60s, was discovered on the ground floor by firefighters in breathing gear after crews were called to reports of a house fire in Field Road, Forest Gate, shortly before 5am on December 25.
Detectives believe the blaze was started deliberately but say they are still working to establish “the full circumstances” of what happened and have appealed to the public for information.
Det Ch Insp Steve McCabe said: “I need to hear from anyone who saw anything suspicious in Field Road and the surrounding area in the early hours of Christmas Day.”
Four other people had escaped the house before firefighters arrived, according to the London Fire Brigade.
Police believe they know the identity of the man found dead in the property but are still awaiting formal identification. A post-mortem examination is to be arranged in due course.
The fire badly damaged the two-storey terraced home and took four pump crews two-and-a-half hours to bring under control.
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No arrests have been made.
Anyone with information should call the incident room on 020 8345 1570 or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or at crimestoppers-uk.org.
