Dunelm and Pets at Home speak out after major fire destroys their Northampton retail park stores

The national retailers have issued statements since their premises in Nene Valley Retail Park were destroyed in a fire on Saturday afternoon (May 31).

The huge fire ripped through the Dunelm on Saturday at 3pm (May 31), later spreading to Pets at Home next door. Both buildings were well alight by Saturday evening. Other connected buildings have also been damaged by smoke.

At the height of the incident, 11 fire crews and appliances were in attendance, along with two aerial platforms. Thankfully, no casualties were reported.

A Dunelm spokeswoman said: “Thank you all for your kind words and support. We are incredibly grateful that all of our colleagues and customers were safely evacuated. Right now, we're focused on supporting our Northampton colleagues as we begin to navigate the road ahead and determine our next steps. Your continued encouragement means the world to us, and we will continue to keep you updated.”

Reacting, customers said: “Thinking of you all.” “Best shop in Northampton. It's so sad. Hope you will reopen soon.” “Loved this shop, especially your bedding. Hopefully you will be back up and running in no time.” “Such an awful thing for you all to experience. So pleased everyone is OK.”

A Pets at Home spokeswoman said: "We'd like to thank the emergency services and our colleagues at Nene Valley Retail Park who responded to fire spreading rapidly from the neighbouring Dunelm store, and took swift action to move customers and pets to safety.

"We are supporting our team through this difficult time and thank customers and clients for their support and understanding. We will also continue to help the Police with their ongoing investigation."

Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service (NFRS) remained on the scene on Monday morning (June 2). One crew from Mereway was continuing to damp down remaining hotspots, while the fire investigation team had returned to continue its work.

The fire service says it will maintain a presence at the site for the next few days.

All roads in the area have now re-opened, although a section of the car park near Dunelm remains in use by fire crews.

Chronicle & Echo visited the scene today (Monday) and can confirm the row of shops connected to Dunelm is taped off and currently closed. These include: Dunelm, Pets at Home, NCF Furniture, Dreams, B&M, and Tapi.

Pets at Home and Dunelm are visibly destroyed, while the remaining shops’ condition appears to be less badly affected.

All the stores, as well as the retail park’s owners, have been contacted for comment.

The remaining businesses on the site, which are not physically linked to the affected units, include Smyths Toy Store, Currys/PC World, Wren Kitchens, Mattressman, and Carpets 4 Less. These have reopened today.

Three boys – aged 15, 14, and 13 – were arrested on suspicion of arson shortly after the fire.

The 13-year-old has been released with no further action, while the other two have been released on bail pending further enquiries.

Detectives are still appealing for witnesses or anyone with information who may have been in or around the retail park on Saturday afternoon and saw anything suspicious.

Anyone with information should call Northamptonshire Police on 101 or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.

Please quote incident number 25000315343 when providing any details to ensure they reach the correct team promptly.