FIRE crews have been fighting fires grass fires around Ipswich, including one where six engines where needed to tackle the blaze.

NERVOUS homeowners could only look on and hope as a heathland blaze came perilously close to their homes.

Firefighters from around the area swung into action when the fire came within touching distance of properties at Martlesham Heath yesterday.

The blaze began at 3.50pm in Broomfield, just off Eagle Way.

The fire was inches away from residential properties and some homeowners were left with scorched and blackened fences.

Eyewitness Chris Rudland said the flames were 30 or 40ft high at times.

He said: “I was on my way back from the Lowestoft air show and approaching the Seckford Hall roundabout when I saw smoke billowing up in the distance.

“When I got there all the residents were already out of their homes. It was a huge fire - the flames were taller than the houses and I would think around 30 or 40ft high.

“It got extremely close to peoples' homes and quite a few were left with black grass and singed fences.

“It was tremendously hot. I leant against a lamppost and burnt my arm and one of the water hoses used by the fireman actually started to melt. They did a hell of a job and got everything under control very quickly.”

Six crews from Ipswich, Woodbridge, Felixstowe and Orford attended along with a water bowser. The crews doused the flames by 5.05pm.

At about 9.15pm yesterday the fire service was called to a grass fire near the play area on the Bramford Road allotments in Ipswich where five square meters of grass was alight. This blaze was under control by about 9.25pm.

Just before 11pm firefighters received a call to grass on fire on Civic Drive in Ipswich, which they quickly brought under control.

And at about 11.25pm they were called to Cobham Road, Ipswich, where undergrowth was on fire. It was out within 25 minutes

A 14-year-old boy has been arrested in connection with an arson attack on an Ipswich sub-station.

The sub-station, in Landseer Road, is alleged to have been set on fire about 7.45pm on Monday.

The teenager has been bailed to return to Ipswich police station at noon on August 9.