AN ARSONIST has been blamed for setting light to a derelict building on the former Wansbrough Paper Mill site in Watchet on Tuesday evening (June 2).

A major blaze broke out shortly before 7 pm and Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue (DSFR) received several 999 calls about the incident.

Within an hour, almost all the roof of a building measuring 98 feet by 16 feet had collapsed.

Heavy smoke covered a large area of the town and residents were advised by the emergency services to stay indoors and keep their windows closed.

The fire left people concerned about deadly asbestos fibres which may have been released into the atmosphere as the building burned.

Fire crews from Williton and Minehead were first on scene and confirmed on arrival that a building was well alight.

They immediately requested the attendance of a third appliance and an aerial ladder platform, which were mobilised from Minehead and Bridgwater as the firefighters tackled the blaze with two main jets.

A request for a fourth appliance was then made and crews from Nether Stowey were dispatched.

By 10 pm the crews were still hard at work firefighting but said to be making ‘steady progress’.

The blaze was said to be out by 11 pm and the crews were able to work on damping down any hot spots.

It was nearly midnight before the firefighters could start to leave the scene.

A DSFR spokesperson said: “The cause of the fire was believed to be deliberate.”

The Wansbrough mill closed with the loss of 176 jobs in 2015 when owners DS Smith lost a major contract, and the site has lain empty ever since.

The community held a number of events last December to mark the 10th anniversary of its closure.