York – man arrested after campervan explodes in Acomb street

As reported by The Press, two cars were damaged by the fire along with nearby homes and a barbershop as a result of the blaze, which happened at one end of Beaconsfield Street in Acomb, at its junction with School Street.

Firefighters were on the scene around 10.45pm yesterday and several houses had to be evacuated as a precaution, North Yorkshire Police said.

A force spokesperson said: “The suspect remains in custody for questioning while the investigation continues.

“It is being treated as an isolated incident with no threat to the wider public.

“Witnesses or anyone with relevant CCTV, doorbell or dashcam footage are being urged to come forward.”

A police cordon was in place this morning around the burnt-out vehicle and covered about one-third of Beaconsfield Street, after police issued a notice last night to the public to avoid the area.

Broken glass was on the floor next to the campervan and one of the windows of local business Headline Barber had a large hole in the bottom.

An SUV opposite the campervan saw its plastic fairing mostly melted away and there appeared to be scorch marks on other vehicles behind the cordon.

A clean-up operation involving a recovery vehicle was underway this afternoon.

Bystanders at the cordon, including shoppers and commuters surveyed the scene in Beaconsfield Street yesterday morning (Image: Kevin Glenton)

A fireball was visible from neighbouring streets overnight and firefighters were seen damping down the campervan around 1.15am.

Local resident Susan, who lives in a flat ten metres away from the explosion, said she felt like she’d had a narrow escape.

She said: “I’d gone to bed and was fast asleep at the time of the explosion and was awoken by the loud bang.

“My husband was in the living room and saw the flames.

“Almost immediately it felt like, a police officer knocked on the door and told us to evacuate for our own safety.

“If the cars outside had gone up, we could have been next.”

A police cordon was raised around the scene in Acomb yesterday morning (Image: Kevin Glenton)

Mrs Phillips, who lives in Milner Street, two streets away from the scene in the direction of Green Lane Allotments, said she was outside having a cigarette last night and heard the bang, which she said sounded like motorbikes she hears in the area.

Penny Hutchinson lives in Beaconsfield Street on the other side of police cordon put up yesterday.

She said everyone in her house was in bed when she heard the bang and she took a look out of her window then saw the blue lights of emergency service vehicles in the street.

Bryar Kanq is the owner of Headline Barber in Beaconsfield Street which is directly opposite the scene of yesterday’s explosion.

He lives above the premises and was there at the time and saw the incident from his front room window.

He said he was still shaking last night but was OK this morning as he waited for the cordon to be lifted by police.

He said: “I heard the bang from the front room overlooking the campervan – I don’t think it’s moved from the same spot in a year.”

A spokesperson for the Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust said none of its vehicles were deployed to the area.

North Yorkshire Police said anyone who can assist its investigation can call the force on 101.

Alternatively, contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or make an online report.

Please quote NYP-04062026-0632 when providing details.