The Voice of Spalding and South Holland
A retired couple and their lodgers have spoken of their horror after their front yard was incinerated in a blaze off High Street in Long Sutton last night (Tuesday, July 31).
Robert (69) and Maureen Green (76) were woken by a neighbour just before midnight, to find their shed on fire which spread quickly to a camper van, two cars, three storage units and a log cabin where lodger Dan Heuser was staying.
Thankfully no-one was injured in the incident.
The destroyed vehicles.
A total of 39 firefighters from Long Sutton, Holbeach, Spalding, Wisbech, Terrington and West Walton and Market Rasen fire crews battled the blaze and stopped it from spreading to the surrounding buildings including to the Greens’ home where they’ve lived for over 30 years.
Maureen: “We’d gone to bed early and had been watching a film. We’d fallen asleep and then there was the knocking on the bedroom window by a neighbour shouting at us to get up.
“It was the shed that was on fire at that point but it spread incredibly quickly.
“Robert tried to move my Citroen car that I’ve only had for a year but the heat was so much you could see that the metal was bubbling on the top.”
“The heat was just intense,” Robert added. “It was horrible to see, but thankfully they were able to stop the fire hitting the bungalow. There’s some damage to it, but at least we’re all ok.”
The couple have three lodgers who stay in accommodation on the site. Dan Hauser was fast asleep in the log cabin on the site he’s lived in for four years.
The cabin where Dan Heuser was staying.
“If it wasn’t for my friend, I wouldn’t be here now,” said Dan of one of the other lodgers who wished to remain anonymous. “I heard the first boom when I was in my bedroom and realised the situation so I got out as soon as I could.
“I couldn’t believe what I saw.”
Mr Green’s daughter-in-law Clare McKenzie came as soon as she heard and she took the couple and the lodgers back to her Gedney home for tea. They were allowed back to the premises at 4am.
Eye witnesses describe hearing explosions and gas canisters were in the destroyed units as well as the vehicles going up in flames.
The units also contained leftover carpets from the couple’s former business Green’s Carpets and a number of tools.
The cause of the fire has yet to be ascertained and Robert Green said he would be checking his CCTV to provide any help as to how the blaze started, seemingly in a shed.
The fire was at the back of the family owned Gammon’s Hairdressers. Owner Dave Gammon said: “My partner saw the fire from our house over on Park Road just after midnight, and the initial thought was, that’s at the back of the shop.
The damaged units.
“I rushed down here and it was all well ablaze by then with five fire appliances in attendance and they’d closed the road.
“I’m sure Mr Green is as gutted as we all are for him.”
Maureen was also full of praise for the emergency services. She said: “The firefighters were amazing, stopped our bungalow from getting burnt throughout and kept us in touch throughout.
“We’ve had lots of lovely messages of support from the community as well.
“Our grandson was going to come down and cut the hedge in the yard today and that’s the only thing in the yard that’s left.”
