Arson probe after pub blaze and car fires in Bilston; man detained
Police say a 41-year-old man has been detained in connection with a series of fires that damaged a market-town pub and sparked seven vehicle blazes.
Emergency services rushed to Bilston, in Wolverhampton, in the early hours after a car burst into flames outside a house, and a 41-year-old man was detained on suspicion of arson. The incident began just before 4 a.m. with a fire reported at a pub on Church Street, where damage to the front of the building was later confirmed.
Minutes after responders arrived, seven vehicles caught fire on a nearby street, authorities said. West Midlands Police said the arrest followed swift work by officers in Wolverhampton this morning and that the man was detained in the area on suspicion of arson and would be questioned in due course.
Investigators are continuing to review the sequence of events and any potential links between the pub fire and the vehicle blazes. Police said there were no immediate reports of injuries and that further updates would be provided as the inquiry progresses. Authorities did not release additional details about a possible motive or a timeline beyond the morning incidents.
The force emphasized that the investigation remains active and urged anyone with information from the Church Street or Shale Street areas to come forward to assist in determining how the fires began and whether they are connected.