Overview

• The fire broke out around 1:30 a.m. on May 28 at a vacant two-storey farmhouse on Mill Lane within the Althorp Estate, prompting a response from the Northamptonshire Fire & Rescue Service.
• Charles Spencer said the vacant building was “apparently burnt down by vandals,” and authorities are treating the incident as a deliberate act of arson.
• The damaged structure was subsequently razed to the ground for safety after firefighters found it fully engulfed in flames.
• No injuries were reported as crews used hose-reel jets and water bowsers to extinguish hotspots and preserve evidence.
• The Spencer family has owned the estate for over 500 years, and its grounds, including Princess Diana’s private burial island, remain open to visitors through the summer.