Neighbours have recalled hearing a ‘bang’ after a fire broke out in the early hours of the morning at a home in Ilkeston. Firefighters and police officers were called to the scene on Ash Street, Ilkeston, just before 4am on Friday (June 30).
Neighbours have shared their ‘shock’ of the incident on what they describe as a ‘lovely' street. For the six years that Heidi Birchnall has lived on Ash Street nothing like this happened before.
“It was a bit of a shock, it was roughly about half three. It was scary to see it because you hear about it but never see it," she said.
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“You could hear the crackling more than anything. There were two fire engines."
49-year-old Rachael Mann, who’s lived in the area for 20 years, woke up from a ‘bang’ in the early hours of the morning. She said: “I heard a bang, it sounded a bit like a gunshot.
"I jumped out of bed and looked out the blinds and saw the fire. I said to my husband that I better ring the fire brigade.
“The fire brigade and police told us to get out of the house and then we were just walking the street, with the dog.”
An Ash Street resident who wished to remain anonymous said: “I phoned the fire fighters at around 3 o'clock, it was scary. The fire service came quite fast, they got people out of their homes. They got the fire out as soon as they could.”
Derbyshire Police have launched a public appeal for information, asking anyone with information to come forward.
A spokesperson for Derbyshire Police said: "We were called to a report of a fire in Ash Street, Ilkeston, just before 4am on Friday 30 June. An investigation has been launched into the cause of the fire and a cordon remains in place.
"We believe this is an isolated incident, nobody has been injured and there is no threat to the wider community. Anyone who saw anything suspicious in the area between 3.30am and 4.30am on Friday morning, especially if you have CCTV or dashcam footage, is being urged to contact us."
Anyone with information should contact police quoting reference number 23*401559, on 101 or via social media or the force's website. You can also anonymously contact the independent charity Crimestoppers, on 0800 555 111, or by visiting the CrimeStoppers website.
