Lives will be lost in Emmerdale in the New Year when a massive fire causes terror and tragedy, it has been announced.
The shock new storyline will see a blaze rip through a row of cottages in the heart of the village in some of the soap’s most spectacular scenes ever.
Show bosses have confirmed that at least two characters will perish in the inferno, although the identities of the casualties will be kept closely under wraps until transmission.
Betty Eagleton (Paula Tilbrook), Chas Dingle (Lucy Pargeter) and Gennie Walker (Sian Reese-Williams) are just three of the villagers who have been named as possible victims of the flames.
Brenda Walker (Lesley Dunlop) and Terry Woods (Billy Hartman) will also be in danger when the fire spreads to their home, while Viv Hope (Deena Payne) is another show favourite whose life may be left on the line.
In a further twist, the aftermath of the blaze will see the distressing discovery that the fire was no accident. As the survivors mourn the dead, they must deal with the disturbing realisation that an arsonist has struck and could be among them.
Speaking of the storyline, Emmerdale‘s series producer Gavin Blyth commented: “This is going to be one of the most dramatic and tragic events ever to rock Emmerdale and no-one will be untouched by the fire’s devastating consequences.
“The whole village will be thrown together for these gripping and heart-wrenching episodes which will launch us into an unmissable 2011.”
Emmerdale‘s arson plot will air in the middle of January.
Aaron's Story 
Presumably this will be Nathan’s revenge?
(“You don’t know what I’m capable of”)
Seriously, I will probably get into trouble for syaing this, but why does every serial have to compete in the misery stakes like they do now?. Eastenders used to have it all to themselves, ladelling out the misery, especialy with the mandatory death on Xmas Day, but now ED and CS follow suit (I don’t watch it but I’m told Hollyoaks has had a recent arson outbreak, too?)
It is as if TV is going back to the days of overwrought Victorian melodrama, and I have more or less had enough of it.
If ED gets much darker I will just stop watching. End of.
By: Alan on November 24, 2010
at 4:24 am
every time i get an email with news from this blog all i want to see is “Jackson gets back his legs” ,,,,, I wasnt a fan of him at the start but it meant so much to aaron its so sad to see this.
By: james on November 24, 2010
at 5:57 am
If not his legs at least his hands and arms, it is sad to see such a good character going through this – yet Nathan will – literally – walk away after all the things he’s done
By: Alan on November 24, 2010
at 8:39 am
I might be speculating a lot but it says in spoilers that aaron will face the biggest choice next year and this is due to air next year, it also says in this article that chas might be in the fire so maybe aaron has to choose which one to save, jackson or chas?? Probably way to much speculation there though 🙂 xx
By: vanessa on November 24, 2010
at 7:39 am
If you are right, Vanessa, I would think he would choose to save Jackn, though, that said, if Chas got killed, what with Paddy & Rhona cavorting about, it is possible that Aaon would move in with Hazel nd Jackson and he would get a pseudo step-mum to replace his pseudo step dad.
All that said, the serials are all getting so much alike with their bleak storylines it makes you long for the days when most of them were only on twice a week, they wasn’t such a big industry and they were not forever trying to top each other for tragic storylines.
Anyone else agree, or am I just a pessimist who wants to be an optomist for half an hour a day?. I know you can’t have constant sweetness and light, but what with Jackson & Ryan, Aarons near suicide and the Bartons drug hell this year, I want something lighter – and I don’t mean Randy Rhona!
By: Alan on November 24, 2010
at 7:45 am
it could be the decision whether to turn his mums life support machine off or not im praying its not aarson injured in the fire ooooh it might be carl who starts the fire or nathan hmmmm cant wait bet its gonna be aps amazing as emmerdale usually is 😀
By: Soph on November 24, 2010
at 1:02 pm
Is Emmerdale copying or is it a new exit strategy for the soaps? I just watched the Hollyoaks fire storyline and it was completely heartbreaking. Why don’t they lay off with the doom for a bit? Sheeesh.
By: elsie2088 on November 24, 2010
at 8:07 am
Glad I’m not the only one – there is so much real tragedy and senslessness in real life (just listening to the radio about those poor miners in New Zealand) you don’t need all this fictitious gloom.
I am tiring of Holly’s drug addiction (unlike Jackson where you can really believe in his plight because of his dignified finely tuned performances, the actress playing Holly just writhes on cue). I wish Adam had been an only child. I bet Adam does too. And Moira. And John 🙂
Rhona fluttering her eyelids and breaking Marlon apart, Ryan naturally bitter about what Nathan did to him – next to all that Carl/Chas/Eve seems almost like comic relief. Except that it’s not.
By: Alan on November 24, 2010
at 8:38 am
I agree with everyone, fed up with doom and gloom. Am I the only person who would like to see a nice happy Christmas (minus the fake snow) !!!
Fingers crossed they don’t ruin Aaron’s storyline by writing him as the arsonist.
By: Paul on November 24, 2010
at 9:18 am
Paul, my guess would be that, for a time, the heavy hand of suspicion will fall on Aaron, but the person who does this will have to be somebody with a deep grudge, and really the only one who fits the bill is Nathan. I am wondering if he tries to kill Ryan or Faye by starting a housefire and it spreads.
I don’t know yet whether Jim Sutton has signed a new contract – I know some weeks ago there was some doubt about this, but if he hasn’t I sadly suspect he will be one of the fatalities, but I really don’t like the idea of this story any more than the terrible injuries of Jackson – totally unnecessary
By: Alan on November 24, 2010
at 6:10 pm
let’s say suspicion does fall on aaron, when was the last time he’s actually done something that bad? other than punching jackson, i can’t think of any. too bad, because of his history, he’ll always be among the usual suspects.
By: j on November 25, 2010
at 7:45 am
I agree let’s keep Aaron and Jackson’s storyline safe
By: Zoe on December 4, 2010
at 9:47 pm
I thought this was going to say that Aaron was injured or Jackson dies or something…i hope Jackson, Hazel, Aaron, Paddy and Marlon are ok
By: Hayley on November 24, 2010
at 4:20 pm
J. I certainly don’t think Aaron would do anything like that, the obvious candidate has to be Nathan because, judging by recent episodes he obviously has a very disturbed personality. He pretende great love for his sister and young brother, yet last night (Nov 24th) contemptuously referred to Maisie as “disturbed” and “putty in his hands”.
Also, despite pretending in court to be so upset at his mums prison sentence, he did nothing to admit his part in the affair, and within hours in the pub he is boasting he has “millions in the beank…things are’nt too bad”.
Tonight he confesses what he did to Ryan and it gets recorded and Nathan ends up having to sign over “his fortune”, not to Ryan, but to Will. But he will always see Ryan as the culprit who broke up “his” family and home, and I suspect the horrible idea of arson will be to try to kill Ryan and/or Faye.
I can’ see any other character would have that much of a grudge tgo do something this terrible, also we do know the actor who plays Nathan is leaving, we don’t know about James Sutton (I hope he stays) but I shouldn’t think they would want to get rid either of Danny Miller or make Aaron too unsympathetic a charcter. As for Carl, he’ll be mad at being led up the garden path (or the altar) but I can’t believe he would do anything like that. He is a cheat and a liar, but not a potential killer
By: Alan on November 25, 2010
at 8:01 am
i thought carl has killed before (or involved in a death)? or maybe i just misunderstood. i don’t follow nathan’s story but he sounds like a sociopath; every soap needs one:)
By: j on November 25, 2010
at 8:12 am
Yeh if I remember correctly, Carl killed his dad I think??
By: Paul on November 25, 2010
at 10:52 pm
Well, I think we can safely assume Chas is going to get killed in the fire.
Aaron gets cose to mum – even offers her a hug.
Reemember what he said? “Anyone who ever get close to me gets hurt”
If Chas dies and with Jackson disabled this will more than reinforce his beliefs.
By the way, I read in a British newspaper this week a man who was paralysed from the neck down 15 years ago in a rugby accident, actually managed to stand to have the photographs taken at his wedding, though he was confined to a wheelchair at other times, so perhaps there is a glimmer of hope for Jackonson in that he too, as a character, has determination and willpower, and after he comes through the shock and grieving period he will fight back to live as full a life as he can.
My guess is that Nathan starts the fire and will probably be one of the three victims. I just hope Ryan isn’t the the third
By: Alan on November 27, 2010
at 4:40 am
Yeh I think you’re right mate. Aaron looked well sexy last night and when he asked his mom if she wanted a hug, I could have melted !!
Nathan got everything he deserved and I can’t imagine he’ll just go and that’s it.
Chas maybe one of the ones to die, but I think the obvious one is Viv because she is leaving and maybe Charity too because she is leaving.
I suppose we all have to wait for the Christmas and new year spoilers !!
By: Paul on November 27, 2010
at 11:10 am
charity’s married to cain, right? is he leaving too? because if he isn’t but she is, then she’s a strong possibility.
By: j on November 28, 2010
at 7:13 am
I think I read Paul, that Viv is going to die by falling on ice in the river, but as they have used death by water once this year already, perhaps they had a rethink.
I just hope they don’t do anything to Ryan – after suffering prison this year, I think he deserves to be happy because he is such a decent & generous character
By: Alan on November 27, 2010
at 12:42 pm
I would like to see Aaron, Jackson & Paddy ok, i’m not so sure about Chas most of the time i could slap her silly! is it true that there is going to be a problem with Rhondas baby?
By: Zoe on December 4, 2010
at 9:43 pm
Zoe, it seems Rhona’s baby is going to have Downs Syndrome. You can tell it is near Xmas when all the serials start bringing out their saddest storylines – you know the tram crashes, murders, fires and deaths that Christmas is traditional for…..
Chas has improved a great deal in recent times, and as a character she is a hundred times better than the cliche’ that is Declan’s wife
I am wondering if Rhona dies in the fire, which will then clear the way for the return of the friendship between Marlon and Paddy?
By: Alan on December 5, 2010
at 3:52 am
I am SOO looking forward to this. Very excited! :))
By: Tracey Malloy on December 6, 2010
at 7:31 am