Watch: Footage of fire damage at Kitts Green property in Birmingham from police drones

West Midlands Fire Service Police and the Drones team at West Midlands Police have released footage of fire damage at a building in Kitts Green that caught fire this morning (Thursday, June 15).

The video show the heat spots of the blaze and is helping firefighters assess how they can safely go about extinguishing it - without them putting their lives at risk by entering the property. The shop and flat above it were set alight at in the early hours, with WMFS attending at 3.55am. There was a gas mains at the property, so twenty-five people in and around the building had to be evacuated.

A 50 metre evacuation zone was created around the blaze and firefighters said all the people were led to safety, with one person treated at the scene. All - except those at the shop and flat - were able to return to their homes and businesses by 12.11pm after Cadent capped off the gas supply to make the area safe.

In it’s latest update at 12.11pm WMFS said: “Crews continue to damp down hot spots, using our hydraulic aerial platform to aid removal of affected areas of the roof and gain access. A drone from West Midlands Police is also aiding us in identifying hot spots from the air.

“Due to the structural risks, our fire investigation team cannot fully assess the property internally, so the cause remains undetermined at this stage. It’s expected crews will conduct revisits at the property during the course of today.”

In addition to a drone, West Midlands Police also sent forensic officers and a police dog to the scene. Officers said: “We are continuing to support our colleagues at @WestMidsFire to ensure the fire is safely extinguished, before @ForensicsWMP and @WMFSFireDog start their work.”