Bootle mum shares footage of stranger setting fire to garage 2026

Key Points

• Holly Cham, mother of Bootle, claimed that her Ring doorbell recorded a man entering their garage prior to the fire at her Clemmey Drive home.
• According to Merseyside Police, the suspicious fire is thought to be started in the garage and subsequently spread to the adjacent building.
• A 31-year-old man has been arrested for arson with the intent of endangering the life and released on conditional bail during the course of investigation.
• There are no injuries reported, as per Merseyside Police.
• The Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service said they were informed about the fire at 2.18 am on Monday, 24 August and managed to extinguish the bulk of the fire by 2.39 am.
• Cham said that their family home has been made uninhabitable owing to the damage caused by fire, smoke, and water.
• Cham and her children are currently staying at a friend’s place and a fund-raising campaign is being carried out to help them.
• Cham said that her home-based cake business suffered damages due to the loss of ovens, ingredients, boxes and tools.
• Cham claimed that her home insurance has lapsed prior to the fire.

Bootle (Liverpool standard) September 03, 2026 – Doorbell-camera footage shared by Bootle resident Holly Cham appears to show a man entering her family’s garage shortly before a fire took hold, according to reporting by the Liverpool Echo. Merseyside Police said the fire was reported as suspicious and is believed to have begun inside a garage before spreading to the adjoining two-storey semi-detached home.

Bootle doorbell footage shows a fire starting at a family home, while a 31-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of arson with intent to endanger life. Police said their investigation remains ongoing after the blaze spread from a garage into an adjoining property on Clemmey Drive.

The force confirmed that a 31-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of arson with intent to endanger life. He has been released on conditional bail pending further enquiries, and police said there were no reports of injuries.

What does the doorbell footage appear to show?

According to the Liverpool Echo’s report, the footage appears to show a man entering the family’s garage and emerging seconds later as flames begin to take hold. The person is then seen walking along the street, knocking on neighbours’ doors, before returning to Cham’s home and knocking at its front door.

The footage also appears to show the man staying at the property as Cham’s partner moved a car from the driveway before going back inside. The Liverpool Echo reported that the man then appeared to guide Cham’s partner away from the house with a hand placed on his back.

Cham, who was away with her children at the time, told the Liverpool Echo that she believed the individual had tried several neighbours’ gates before entering her garage at about 2am on Monday, 24 August. Her partner was at home during the incident and, she said, collected clothes and car keys before calling 999.

As reported by the Liverpool Echo, Cham said: “Our Ring doorbell camera picked everything up. He was knocking on our door, and the neighbours’ doors, acting like he just walked past and saved everyone.”

She added that the garage was already alight shortly after the fire was started, saying: “The fire was already massive; the garage was ablaze about 30 seconds after he lit it.” This account is Cham’s allegation; the police investigation has not concluded.

What have Merseyside Police said about the fire?

Merseyside Police said it received a report from Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service in the early hours of Monday, 24 August regarding a suspicious fire. The force said it believes the fire began in a garage before extending to the attached property.

A Merseyside Police spokesperson said:

“We had a report from MFRS in the early hours of Monday August 24 of a suspicious fire which is believed to have started within a garage and spread to the adjoining property.”

The spokesperson added:

“There were no reports of any injuries. A 31-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of arson with intent to endanger life. He has been released on conditional bail pending further enquiries.”

An arrest on suspicion of an offence does not amount to a charge or a finding of guilt. The police inquiry remains active, and no further details regarding the arrested man’s identity or the evidence being considered have been publicly released in the reports reviewed.

When did firefighters attend Clemmey Drive?

Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service said crews were alerted to the Clemmey Drive incident at 2.18am on 24 August and arrived shortly afterwards. Two fire engines attended the scene, where firefighters found a two-storey brick-built semi-detached property affected by fire.

The service said two firefighters wearing breathing apparatus were deployed and a hose-reel jet was used to fight the blaze. It said the main body of the fire had been extinguished by 2.39am.

Firefighters continued work at the property after the main fire had been put out. The service said a positive-pressure ventilation fan was used, hot spots were treated, and gas and electricity supplies to the building were isolated.

The neighbouring property was checked for smoke spread, according to Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service. The service said crews left the location at 5.04am.

How badly was the family home damaged?

Cham told the Liverpool Echo that the garage was completely destroyed and that the intense heat had also damaged the roof and gutters. She said fire, smoke and water damage affected the wider home, with water pipes and electrical systems also impacted.

“The garage is burned to pieces, it’s just ashes now,” Cham said, according to the Liverpool Echo.

“Everything inside is gone: all the kids’ stuff, bikes, tools, the fire pit, so on.”

She said the house had suffered severe smoke and water damage and that attempts to clean part of it had not resolved the damage. “I’ve lost almost everything in the house,” she told the publication, adding that she had been unable to sleep.

The earlier Liverpool Echo report said fire spread into the kitchen and that smoke damage affected upstairs rooms, including a back room, bathroom and her son’s bedroom. Cham said the home was uninhabitable and that she was waiting to hear from the council regarding emergency accommodation.

Where is the family staying after the fire?

Cham and her children are staying with friends while the condition of the property is assessed and cleared, according to the Liverpool Echo. She said the disruption has been particularly difficult for her son Ethan, who has autism and other health conditions.

As reported by the Liverpool Echo, Cham said:

“He’s not coping well. He is finding the changes really hard. It’s all overwhelming at the moment. We’re just trying to clear out as much as we can.”

The report states that Cham was away with her children when the fire happened. Her partner was in the house and managed to move the vehicle from the driveway before emergency services were called.

What has happened to Holly Cham’s cake business?

Cham runs a cake business from her home and said the fire destroyed equipment she relied upon for work, including ovens, mixes, cake boxes and tools. The loss means she now needs to find a way to resume earning while dealing with damage to the property and the family’s temporary living arrangements.

The Liverpool Echo reported that Cham said she would have to find a new job because the business equipment had been lost in the blaze. This is in addition to the household belongings she said were destroyed in the garage and damaged throughout the home.

Cham also said the family’s insurance policy had expired earlier in the month. In a fundraising appeal cited by the Liverpool Echo, she said she had failed to renew the policy while managing her son’s health needs and the school summer holiday period.

She said she understood that maintaining insurance was her responsibility but described the lapse as an oversight. Cham also expressed concern about potential mortgage consequences and the financial cost of restoring or replacing damaged property.

Why has a fundraising appeal been launched?

A GoFundMe appeal has been launched to help Cham and her children with rebuilding costs and immediate needs, according to the Liverpool Echo. Cham said she was grateful for donations of clothing, toys and other supplies already received from people in the community.

“I’m not someone who usually asks people for help,” Cham said in comments reported by the Liverpool Echo. “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 also thanked people who had already provided assistance, saying their support had helped the family during a difficult period. The reporting asked people unable to donate to consider sharing the fundraiser so that it could reach others who may be able to assist.

What is the current status of the arson inquiry?

The criminal investigation is continuing, with the suspect released on conditional bail. Merseyside Police have not publicly said whether further arrests are expected, what conditions apply to the bail, or whether detectives are seeking additional witnesses or footage.

The available reports establish that police are treating the incident as a suspicious fire and are investigating an allegation of arson with intent to endanger life. They do not establish criminal responsibility, which can only be determined through due legal process.

What is the background to the Bootle house-fire development?

The reported fire occurred in the early hours of Monday, 24 August, at a semi-detached home on Clemmey Drive in Bootle. Fire crews attended following a 2.18am alert, while police later confirmed that the suspected origin was within the garage and that the fire spread to the adjoining home.

Holly Cham’s account and the Ring doorbell footage form a central part of the public reporting around the incident. The material was shared with the Liverpool Echo, while the official investigation is being handled by Merseyside Police and the emergency response was led by Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service.

How could this development affect Bootle residents and the family?

For Cham and her children, the immediate effects are likely to remain centred on temporary accommodation, restoration or replacement of damaged possessions, and the interruption to the family’s income from the home-based cake business. The reported impact may be especially difficult for Ethan because Cham has said he finds sudden change overwhelming.

For residents around Clemmey Drive and the wider Bootle community, the ongoing police inquiry may lead people with relevant information or privately held footage to preserve it and share it with investigators if asked. The case also highlights how doorbell-camera footage can become material considered during investigations, though footage alone does not determine legal guilt.

For the public, the key next development will be whether Merseyside Police announce further investigative findings, additional arrests, a charge, or a decision that no further action will be taken. Until then, the available facts remain that a man was arrested, released on conditional bail, and that inquiries are continuing.