Neighbours have spoken of their heartbreak after a fire wrecked a family home on their street. Emergency services were called to a house fire on Middleton Road, Newark before 4pm on April 18.
No injuries were caused by the fire which resulted in significant damage to the home. But locals at the time had expressed concern about the damage and their hope that the residents had remained safe.
Louise Heath, who neighbours the property and works at KFC Newark, said that a man had leapt through a window to flee the fire. "My friend called me and said you need to come home right now, the neighbour's house is on fire," Ms Heath said.
Read more: Live Newark fire updates as emergency services called to house
"When I got here the flames were everywhere. He jumped out of the bedroom window. People were shouting at him to get out. It’s a long way down.
"It’s heartbreaking, but it’s a reminder of how quickly everything can be gone. They have nothing.
"The windows had even started falling out when I got back about 3.20. It was quite traumatic seeing someone jumping out of a burning building. You can’t help but feel empathy for them."
Rosie Twigger, 19, who lives on Terry Avenue, said that time seemed to pass 'very slowly' before fire crews arrived. “I saw it out the bedroom window so I came running out and my mum was visiting my nana and called the fire brigade," Ms Twigger said.
"It seemed like they took a while to come as you’re stood there with no fire service or nothing and time goes very slowly.”
A concerned resident, who did not want to be named, added: "I just hope everyone is alright. There’s a lot of people here [who live in the house], that’s the worry.”
Crews from Newark, Collingham, Bingham, London Road, and Grantham including the Aerial Ladder Platform, worked to extinguish the fire. On Twitter, Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service said: "16:07hrs - We are currently in attendance at a property fire on Middleton Road, Newark. Crews from Newark, Collingham, Bingham, London Road, and Grantham including the Aerial Ladder Platform, are working to extinguish the fire."
In the hours following the fire, people living around the house were warned to keep their doors and windows shut to keep out smoke. At 7.45pm on April 18, Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service said they had scaled the incident down with one fire engine from Newark Fire Station still on scene and that a Fire Investigation is taking place to investigate the cause.
