Boy, 13, quizzed over arson attack
Families were forced to evacuate their homes when the Northward Workingmen's Club in Crewe went up in flames on Thursday evening.
Around 40 firefighters spent more than 12 hours tackling the blaze at the two-storey building in Richmond Road.
Investigations continued yesterday to determine the exact cause of the fire, but Cheshire Police confirmed it was started maliciously.
Surrounding streets had to be cordoned off and electrical services were isolated while firefighting teams from Crewe, Nantwich, Sandbach, Congleton and Winsford battled to get the blaze under control.
Yesterday, firefighters spent the day damping down the building, which had been completely gutted by the fire.
Mobile incident commander Steve Barnes said: "The building was in very close proximity to a number of properties and as the fire took hold one of our main concerns was to protect people's homes.
"We decided to evacuate five properties as a precaution in the event of the fire spreading, but firefighters managed to prevent any flames reaching these properties.
"The firefighters involved did a fantastic job containing this fire and preventing it from spreading to the surrounding buildings, which were just metres away.
"If it had not been for the crews' high levels of professionalism and expertise this incident could have been so much worse."
Kimberly Jones, whose bungalow is just behind the club, praised the firefighters for saving her home.
She said: "I have nothing but good things to say about the fire crews.
"I was panicking when the firefighters got here, but they just calmed me down and took control of the situation.
"I cannot praise them enough. These are very brave, special people who have saved my home."
Jillian Maguire, a 48-year-old mother-of-two, who lives in Richmond Road, said: "The club was broken into a few weeks ago.
"When it closed down for good it should have been knocked down.
"It was a good club in its time and the sort of place you could take your children."
Rose Cheetham, aged 62, who lives in Queen Street, opposite the club, said: "I heard all these sirens and I couldn't believe it when I looked out my window and saw all the flames.
"There was so much thick, black smoke, you couldn't really make out the building, but when I saw it yesterday morning I was devastated."
Terry Kidd, from Haslington, was the club's resident keyboard player for 18 years. He was also its entertainment secretary for 10 years and on the management committee.
The 52-year-old said: "The club has been closed for about two years now, and I drove past it only the other day and thought it was starting to look a mess.
"It's very sad. It was a good club in its day, but after it was sold by the members it was just left to rot.
"It had a lovely bowling green at the rear, but that just looks like fields now it's so overgrown.
"I was told there were squatters in it only a few weeks ago so it was lucky nobody was in there when it caught fire."
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