Fire chiefs have today warned homeowners to take special consideration when placing sheds and wheelie bins in their gardens after a house fire in Felixstowe last night.
FELIXSTOWE: An elderly man was staying with friends today after his home was damaged after by fire.
The blaze broke out in a shed at the rear of a house in Landguard Road, just off Langer Road at about 6pm and spread to the house.
An elderly man, who is believed to live in the terraced home alone, was alerted by his smoke detector after the flames spread from the shed to the house, shattering windows at the rear.
A neighbour said: “It was quite frightening. It sounded like a herd of elephants going up the stairs and then there was a bang.
“It blew out the windows of the house next door and there were flames and smoke above the houses.”
She said the man only kept a lawnmower and seedlings in his shed and neighbours are baffled about what may have caused the fire.
Police have been to the scene and asking for information. The occupier of the house, who is believed to be in his late 60s, is understood to have spent the night with friends living nearby.
The neighbour said; “He was really shaken up. At first he would not come out of his house and we had to persuade him it was better to get out and be safe.”
Group manager for Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service David Atkinson praised crews from Felixstowe who worked quickly to stop the blaze from escalating.
He said: “Crews responded very fast, they did really well to get into the building and worked well to stop it from escalating into a bigger, more serious incident.”
Mr Atkinson said people must think very carefully about how close items such as sheds, summer houses and wheelie bins are situated to their homes, after two similar incidents in the last week.
He also highlighted the importance of having smoke alarms fitted giving occupiers warning of any blaze in their homes.
Crews from Felixstowe fire station wearing breathing apparatus used a hose reel jet to tackle the flames, which were under control by about 6.35pm.
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