Overview

• Avon Fire and Rescue said crews from Southmead, Hicks Gate and Temple Back extinguished a caravan blaze on Parry's Lane using a hose-reel jet and established a safety cordon.
• The service recorded the cause as deliberate ignition and referred the case to Avon and Somerset Police, who have opened an investigation.
• The incident occurred within the long-running Downs roadside settlement, which local reports describe as hosting hundreds of people living in vehicles.
• Campaign group Protect the Downs shared footage from the scene and warned of fire risks from tightly parked vehicles, dry ground and nearby gas canisters.
• The blaze follows a suspected arson that destroyed another caravan in February, as discussion continues over council efforts to identify an alternative site for vehicle dwellers.