Bootle home fire CCTV: Holly Cham arson footage 2026

Key Points

• Holly Cham, 33, from Bootle, Liverpool, claims that footage from CCTV has recorded an apparent case of arson in her home located at Clemmey Drive, just after midnight on 24 August 2026.
• According to Holly, footage from a Ring doorbell shows a man coming inside the garage, coming out seconds later when the fire catches up, and knocking on the neighbors’ doors before going back into the building.
• A 31-year-old man was arrested by Merseyside police on the suspicion of arson with the intent to endanger lives; however, the man has since been released under conditional bail.
• The fire started in the garage and spread to the two-story semi-detached home, causing massive fire, smoke, and water damage; there were no injuries recorded.
• Holly Cham claims her home is now uninhabitable, equipment for her cake business has been destroyed, and her home insurance had lapsed in August.
• A GoFundMe campaign has been set up to help the family until they sort things out.

Bootle (Liverpool standard) September 5, 2026 – A mother in Bootle has shared disturbing CCTV footage that appears to show a stranger deliberately setting fire to her home, an incident that has left the property uninhabitable and prompted an ongoing police investigation. Holly Cham, 33, said the blaze broke out at her house on Clemmey Drive in the early hours of Monday, 24 August 2026, while she was away with her two children and her partner was inside.

What happened in the Bootle arson CCTV footage?

The footage, recorded by a Ring doorbell, appears to show a man trying several neighbours’ gates before gaining access to Ms Cham’s garage at around 2am, according to her account to the Liverpool ECHO. The video then appears to show the man entering the garage and emerging just seconds later as a fire begins to take hold, with flames visible within about 30 seconds of him lighting it, Ms Cham told the ECHO.

As reported by journalists at the Liverpool ECHO, Ms Cham said the footage shows the man walking along the street and knocking on neighbours’ doors before returning to her home and knocking on the front door. The BBC, in its coverage, noted the surveillance video shows a man exiting the garage area, walking away, and then flames illuminating the walls of the house, followed by the individual knocking on neighbours’ doors and returning to ring the front doorbell.

At the time of the fire, Ms Cham’s partner was asleep inside and was woken by the sound of someone at the door, according to Ms Cham’s account cited by the BBC. He opened the bedroom door and saw smoke seeping in from the bathroom window, then went outside and called the fire service, she told the BBC.

Emergency response and police investigation

Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service (MFRS) confirmed crews were called to the property on Clemmey Drive at 2.18am on 24 August, with two fire engines attending the scene. Firefighters found a two-storey brick-built semi-detached property involved in fire, deployed two firefighters wearing breathing apparatus, and used a hose reel jet to tackle the blaze. The main body of the fire was extinguished by 2.39am, gas and electricity to the property were isolated, and the neighbouring home was checked for smoke spread, MFRS said.

Merseyside Police said it received a report from MFRS in the early hours of 24 August of a suspicious fire believed to have started within a garage and spread to the adjoining property. A 31-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of arson with intent to endanger life and has since been released on conditional bail pending further enquiries, a police spokesperson said. There were no reports of any injuries, police added.

Damage to property and impact on family

Ms Cham told the Liverpool ECHO the garage is “burned to pieces” and now “just ashes”, with everything inside lost, including children’s items, bikes, tools and a fire pit. She said the whole house has “really bad smoke and water damage” and that she has “lost almost everything in the house”, adding that attempts to clean one area showed how severe the damage is. The fire also spread into the kitchen, while smoke damage affected the upstairs, back room, bathroom and her son’s bedroom, she told the ECHO.

As reported by the BBC, Ms Cham said the garage has collapsed, windows are shattered, and the house has suffered smoke damage, with repairs estimated to cost up to £10,000. She told the BBC she is a single parent running a small cake business from home, but all her inventory and equipment, including ovens, mixes, cake boxes and tools, have been ruined.

Ms Cham and her children, aged six and eleven, are now staying with friends and relatives because the home is “uninhabitable”, she told the ECHO and BBC. She said her son Ethan, who has autism and other health conditions, is finding the sudden upheaval particularly difficult, describing the changes as “overwhelming”.

Insurance lapse and fundraising appeal

Ms Cham told the Liverpool ECHO her home insurance had expired earlier in August, saying she forgot to renew the policy while dealing with her son’s health problems and the summer holidays. She said: “I know it’s my responsibility as a homeowner, but I just completely forgot to renew the insurance.” She added concerns about the mortgage lender and the possibility of bankruptcy if she cannot meet obligations, according to the ECHO.

In response, a GoFundMe appeal has been launched to help Ms Cham and her children rebuild their lives, with donations of clothes, toys and other items already received, she told the ECHO. Ms Cham said: “I’m not someone who usually asks people for help. I’ve always tried to deal with things myself because I never want to be a burden. But sometimes life puts us in situations we simply can’t overcome alone.” She added: “A massive thank you to everyone who has already helped us with clothes, donations, toys and everything else. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for supporting us during this incredibly difficult time.”

Background to the Bootle arson development

The incident forms part of a wider pattern of suspicious and deliberate fires that periodically occur across Merseyside, with arson cases often investigated under serious charges when life is potentially endangered. In this case, the charge of arson with intent to endanger life reflects the severity with which authorities treat fires set in residential areas, given the risk of rapid spread and harm to occupants and neighbours. The use of domestic CCTV and doorbell cameras has increasingly featured in such investigations, providing time-stamped visual evidence that can assist police in identifying suspects and reconstructing events.

Prediction: how this development may affect Bootle residents and small-business homeowners

This development is likely to heighten concern among Bootle residents and other homeowners who run small businesses from home, particularly regarding night-time security and the consequences of lapsed insurance. Households may review their own CCTV coverage, gate and garage security, and insurance renewal dates, while local community groups could increase informal night watches or share advice on practical precautions. For small-business owners operating from residential properties, the loss of equipment and stock without insurance cover underscores the financial vulnerability of such setups, potentially prompting more to seek tailored business-and-home policies. If the case proceeds to court and results in a conviction, it may also reinforce deterrence messaging from police and fire services about the serious penalties for arson in residential settings.