A wife whose home went up in flames with her pets still inside amid the searing London heat desperately phoned her husband as the flames lapped at their house.
Around 100 firefighters were called to the blaze - believed to have started in an area of scrubland and spread to a nearby row of terraced houses - at around 1pm.
Plumes of thick black smoke were seen from up to ten miles from the blaze in Wennington, Havering, east London.
Dozens of people were evacuated to a nearby Premier Inn, where they desperately waited for news of their loved ones and their homes.
Warm winds fanned the flames making it spread on the tinder dry ground, damaging several homes and destroying at least one.
Lorry driver Gary Rouel, 64, raced back from work after his wife Debbie, 64, a dinner lady, called as flames lapped at the conservatory of their home.
Debbie desperately tried to round up the couple’s three cats and one dog as firefighters rapped on their door to evacuate her.
Gary said: “I had a call and she just said, ‘The house has gone up in flames.’
“It’s terrible. I’ve just finished paying off the mortgage two months ago. It’s heartbreaking. We’ve got insurance but nothing will ever be the same again.
“The fireman was just telling her to ‘get out, get out’. I’ve no idea what we’ll do tonight.
“We were told it was a compost fire that started it all but we don’t know."
The couple’s son, William, 33, lives in nearby Halstead, Essex. He said: “My mum sent me a picture of the fire outside the home.
“She was still in there when it was coming up to the house. It started in the field, then came into the garden, then it was up to the decking and the conservatory. We think the neighbour’s house has gone too.
“It’s awful, I watched on TV as the house went up in flames.”
A huge cordon was thrown up around the village as firefighters tackled the blaze.
The incident comes amid dozens of fires reported in and around London in the soaring temperatures.
At least one home appeared to be destroyed in the fire, while smoke covered a wide area.
One woman, who did not want to be named, went to the scene to find news about a family member who was refusing to leave their home.
She said: “He’s refusing to leave his house, he doesn’t want to leave the property.
“He’s got a digger and he’s digging trenches around the building to try to protect it. We haven’t been able to speak to him - we’ve no idea if he’s ok.”
The inferno is also close to the Grade II listed mediaeval church of St Mary and St Peter's Church which dates back to the 12th century.
Police are not letting the public through the cordoned off area and are gradually extending the danger zone as the fire spreads.
Villagers were seen carrying buckets of water to the Lennards Arms which was later evacuated as the fire approached.
Briae Brazier, 75, who lives in Rainham and works with horses said: “The fire has burnt my stables out.
“It started as a little fire around the back of the houses and if someone had been there to put it out we wouldn’t have had all this trouble.
“It was a little fire out the back garden."
Another resident, whose home was destroyed in the blaze, said: “It’s horrific. I can’t believe it.
“It’s been very badly damaged. It’s so sad. But I’m still alive. My children are still alive. That’s more important than anything.
“I can’t believe what’s happened. It’s devastation.”
Ray Smith, 55, who lives in The Green, believes his home was seriously damaged in the carnage.
He said: “I’ve never seen anything like it before in my life.
“I saw the flames emerge near the church and that’s when we evacuated. I got in my car and got out of there. People were scared.
“It’s heartbreaking. I think I’ve lost everything.
“The situation in terrible. I’ve lived here 14 years and it’s such a lovely area.
“We’re told the church has been destroyed. How an earth did this all start?
“I’m lost for words, it’s unreal.”
A spokesperson for the London Fire Brigade said: "Fifteen fire engines and around 100 firefighters are tackling a fire on The Green in Wennington.
"A row of terraced houses and an area of scrubland are involved in the blaze.
"The Brigade was called at 1.06pm. Fire crews from Dagenham, Deptford, Bethnal Green, Woodford, Lee Green, Forest Hill and surrounding fire stations are at the scene.
"The cause of the fire is not known at this stage."
