A man has been arrested on suspicion of arson after a fire broke out at a care home. 

Firefighters raced to James Boston House, on Bath Road in Reading, just before midnight on Tuesday, August 2 after a blaze was reported at the property. 

Crews from several different fire stations spent just over an hour at the scene. 

A spokesperson for the Royal Berks Fire and Rescue Service said the fire affected just one floor of the property. 

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The following morning, a police officer at the scene told the Chronicle that the flames were contained to one room. 

A burnt-out mattress could be seen placed outside the front of the care home, which supports people with mental health needs. 

Following the incident, a 35-year-old man from Reading was arrested on suspicion of arson and currently remains in custody. 

An RBFRS spokesperson said: “At 11:13pm on Tuesday, 2 August, we received a call to a report of a fire at a residential property on Bath Road in Reading.

Reading Chronicle: via Paul Kingvia Paul King
 
“Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service crews from Caversham Road, Whitley Wood, Wokingham and Bracknell fire stations were sent to the scene, alongside the Aerial Ladder Platform from Whitley Wood Fire Station, two RBFRS Officers and supported by crews from Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service.
 
“Upon arrival, crews confirmed a fire affecting the first floor of the property.
 
“Four firefighters wearing breathing apparatus extinguished the fire using two hose reels.
 
“Crews were on the scene for approximately one hour and 22 minutes.”

Reading Chronicle: via Paul Kingvia Paul King
 
A Thames Valley Police spokesperson said: “An investigation is ongoing following a fire at a residence in Bath Road, Reading on Tuesday. 
 
“One man has been arrested on suspicion of arson. He remains in custody at this time.”