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Blaze Damages Three Homes in Cambridge in 2026

Newsroom Staff
Blaze Damages Three Homes in Cambridge
Credit: Google Map, Cait Findlay

Key Points

  • A major roof fire broke out on Elizabeth Way in the Chesterton area of Cambridge, damaging three terraced homes on Wednesday night.
  • Fire crews from Cambridge and Cottenham fire stations were called to the scene at about 22:30 GMT, and the road was closed while they tackled the blaze.
  • The fire spread through the roof space of the mid-terrace property and affected the adjoining houses on either side.
  • Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service said firefighters used hose reels and jets to bring the blaze under control and remained on scene to damp down hot spots.
  • Cambridgeshire Police confirmed that cannabis plants were discovered inside the affected house after the flames were extinguished.​
  • No arrests have yet been made in connection with the cannabis cultivation, and enquiries are ongoing.​
  • A joint investigation between fire officers and police has been launched to determine the exact cause of the blaze.
  • Residents described seeing flames and smoke coming from the roof and emergency services “everywhere” along Elizabeth Way as the incident unfolded.
  • Local social media groups and pages shared images and brief updates, with posts referring to “a huge blaze that affected three homes in Cambridge”.
  • Authorities have urged witnesses or anyone with information about the incident, or about the cannabis cultivation, to come forward.​

Chesterton (Cambridge Tribune) 12 February 2026 –Firefighters from Cambridge and Cottenham spent hours tackling a significant roof blaze on Elizabeth Way in Chesterton after flames tore through a terraced house and damaged three homes, with police later confirming cannabis plants were found inside the affected property.

How did the fire in Cambridge start and when were crews called?

Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service said crews were called to reports of a house fire on Elizabeth Way, a main route through the Chesterton area of Cambridge, at about 22:30 GMT on Wednesday. As outlined in coverage carried by Yahoo News, citing local emergency services, the fire had already taken hold in the roof space of a terraced property by the time firefighters arrived.

According to the account published by BBC News, the blaze affected the roof area and spread to neighbouring homes, forcing a large response from local fire crews. Firefighters from both Cambridge and Cottenham stations were dispatched to the scene, backing up the initial crews as the scale of the incident became clear.​

What impact did the blaze have on the three terraced homes?

In its report summarising information from the emergency services, Yahoo News said three terraced houses suffered damage after the fire “tore through the roof space”. The mid-terrace property where the fire is believed to have started saw its roof area heavily affected, with heat and flames spreading across to the adjoining homes on either side.​

BBC News likewise reported that the blaze “affected the roof” and caused damage to adjacent properties, noting that the incident involved a row of homes rather than a single isolated building. While exact details of the internal structural damage have not been released, both outlets made clear that all three houses sustained some degree of impact from the fire.

How did firefighters tackle the blaze and manage the scene?

BBC News said firefighters from Cambridge and Cottenham attended the incident and that Elizabeth Way was closed while they tackled the flames. As relayed in the Yahoo News write-up, the closure was put in place to allow multiple fire appliances and emergency vehicles to operate safely and to protect members of the public from potential falling debris or smoke.

Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service reported that crews used hose reels and jets to bring the blaze under control in the roof space, working from both the street and the rear of the properties. Firefighters remained at the scene for some time after the main flames had been extinguished, damping down remaining hot spots and checking for any further spread through the roof timbers and loft areas.

What did residents and local social media posts say about the incident?

Although full eyewitness interviews have not been formally published, the way the incident was described on local platforms indicates the scale of the response and the concern among residents. In posts shared via Cambridgeshire Live’s Facebook presence and local community groups such as Chesterton Babble, users referred to firefighters tackling a “huge blaze that affected three homes in Cambridge”, echoing the language used by local news headlines.

One Facebook post on Cambridgeshire Live’s page carried the headline “Firefighters tackle huge blaze that affected three homes in Cambridge”, alongside social media comments reacting to the scale of the fire and the number of emergency vehicles seen on Elizabeth Way. A separate entry in the Chesterton Babble Facebook group repeated the same headline text, underscoring how residents shared and amplified the news in real time through community channels.

Why did police find cannabis plants in the affected house?

As reported by BBC News, which attributed details to Cambridgeshire Police, cannabis plants of an undisclosed value were discovered inside the house that was at the centre of the fire once firefighters had brought the blaze under control. The BBC story stated that the plants were found during post-fire checks of the property, when emergency services were making the building safe and assessing the damage.​

Cambridgeshire Police told the BBC that, despite the discovery of the cannabis cultivation, no arrests had yet been made in connection with the plants or the fire at the time of publication. Officers said enquiries were ongoing, and the value or scale of the cannabis grow was not publicly disclosed, leaving open questions about how long the cultivation had been taking place and whether it is linked to the cause of the blaze.​

What investigations are under way into the cause of the fire?

According to both BBC News and Yahoo News, the Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service confirmed that an investigation into the origin of the fire is under way. Fire officers are working alongside Cambridgeshire Police to examine the scene, including the roof space and internal wiring, to establish how and where the blaze started.

BBC News reported that, at this stage, there has been no public statement linking the fire’s cause directly to the cannabis cultivation, and the presence of the plants is being treated as a separate criminal matter under investigation. Yahoo News likewise highlighted that the specific cause of the fire had not yet been determined when its piece was published, noting only that a formal inquiry was in progress.

Were there any reported injuries or evacuations?

Neither the BBC News report nor the Yahoo News item made reference to any injuries resulting from the fire on Elizabeth Way. In the absence of any mention of casualties, and given the focus on property damage and the subsequent discovery of cannabis plants, it appears no serious injuries had been reported by the time the articles were filed.

Residents from the affected homes and nearby properties were understood to have left their houses while the incident was ongoing, though the precise number of people evacuated was not set out in the published reports. The closure of Elizabeth Way and the visible presence of several fire engines suggest that the emergency services treated the incident as a significant domestic fire with a strong focus on public safety.

How have authorities and services responded after the blaze?

Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service indicated that its crews would continue to monitor the affected properties and support the investigation, as relayed by BBC News and Yahoo News. The service also reminded residents, through its communication quoted in those outlets, of the importance of fire safety and reporting any signs of smoke or fire immediately.

Cambridgeshire Police, meanwhile, have appealed for information about both the fire and the cannabis plants discovered at the scene, as reported by BBC News. Officers have encouraged anyone who saw suspicious activity in the area before the incident, or who has knowledge of the cultivation in the property, to contact them via usual non-emergency channels or anonymously through Crimestoppers.​

What wider context is there for recent fires in Cambridgeshire?

The incident on Elizabeth Way comes amid ongoing coverage of fire-related incidents across Cambridgeshire, which are regularly highlighted on the BBC’s Cambridgeshire news pages. Recent reports on the same regional news page have included stories about large landfill blazes and vehicle fires on major routes such as the M11, underscoring the range of incidents handled by local fire crews.​

Within local social media ecosystems, pages and groups associated with Cambridgeshire Live, as well as community groups like Chesterton Babble, have become key spaces for residents to share real-time information and reaction when fires and other emergencies occur. The Elizabeth Way blaze, described online as a “huge” fire affecting multiple homes, fits within that pattern of digital word-of-mouth accompanying official updates from the fire service and police.

What happens next for the affected residents and the investigation?

While detailed information about rehousing or insurance arrangements for the residents of the three damaged homes has not been provided in the current BBC News or Yahoo News reporting, both outlets stressed that the properties suffered roof damage and will require significant work. In similar domestic fires, households typically work with insurers, local councils and landlords to secure temporary accommodation, but no formal statement on that has yet been issued for this case.

For investigators, the next steps involve completing a full fire investigation report and progressing the parallel inquiry into the cannabis cultivation, as explained by BBC News and echoed in the Yahoo News account. The outcome of those investigations will determine whether any charges are brought in relation to the plants or, depending on the eventual findings, the cause of the fire itself.