A neighbour who watched a blaze take hold on her quiet street has described how she heard explosions as she raced out to see if anyone was hurt. Lyn Smith, who is retired and lives on Fairham Close in Ruddington, said the fire caught hold and sent thick plumes of smoke up into the air as fire engines raced to put it out.
“It’s a bit of a shock," said the 69-year-old. "I saw the smoke from my back kitchen, and it was thick black smoke. I ran out as I was concerned for my neighbours. I saw a lady panicking, it was a really big fire, there were little explosions too. As far as I know though, everyone is ok. It’s not done any damage to my garden. I saw it set fire to one of the trees too.”
The owner of the garden where the fire started said he was injured as he battled to contain the flames. Matthew Sumner, 55, said he grabbed a garden hose to try and put it out.
"I’ve got blisters on my hands because of the way the wind was blowing," he said. "We’re not sure what caused it though. It’s a bit of a shock to the system.”
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Neighbour Joan Woodhouse, 84, said she thought a bonfire had got out of control. "I’m not entirely sure what happened, but I think there was a bonfire a few doors down, and that had been going since this morning," she said.
"Fire engines came to put it out and I stayed in because I didn’t want to inhale smoke or anything, you never know what it could throw up. There’s thankfully been no damage to my property at the back. It’s a nice quiet area and all the neighbours are really friendly.”
However, fellow Fairham Close resident Lorna Gunn said she wasn't sure what had started it. "“I couldn’t see out of my window for the thick smoke," she said. "My patio windows were covered black. The smoke came in waves. I could smell rubber burning. I think it was too big to be a bonfire.”
A spokesperson for Nottinghamshire Fire & Rescue said: "We received a call at 4.26pm of a fire affecting multiple properties on Fairham Close in Ruddington. Crews from West Bridgford, Highfields and Carlton were called.
"Multiple sheds have caught fire. The fire has been put out, but the incident is ongoing with the three crews still at the scene."
