Three houses damaged after Cranbrook Road fire

Three houses were affected in total during the fire, which was reported in Cranbrook Road, Parkstone this afternoon.

A pregnant woman, a man and a six-month-old baby were led away from one of the homes by firefighters.

Picture by David Wood 

No-one was injured in the incident, but one of the houses – the one in the middle – has been severely damaged. 

Firefighters confirmed no-one was in the middle house at the time of the fire.

Picture by Beth James 

Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service (DWFRS) station manager Graham Kewley said: "This has been a very bad fire where a bonfire in one garden has spread rapidly and caused extensive damage to a neighbour’s house, despite the best efforts of our firefighters. 

"We would urge anyone intending to have a bonfire during such dry conditions to think twice; however, if they must go ahead, we ask that they ensure it is well away from fencing and hedges and to stay with it at all times, with a water supply to hand. As we have seen here, bonfires can get out of control very easily and, when they spread to property, can lead to the loss of precious possessions and potentially even lives. Thankfully, there were no injuries suffered on this occasion.”

It is understood the family evacuated from one of the homes are staying with neighbours while the damage is assessed. Fellow station manager Stuart Gillion told the Echo: “They were making their way out and getting possessions out when we arrived, we just made sure they were safe. 

“The fire spread quite rapidly because of the wind conditions. It spread from the garden of the first home to outbuildings, which have then gone up, then into the middle property which was empty at the time.”

Five fire crews and the aerial platform attended the scene.

At the height of the drama some 30 firefighters were working to ensure the blaze did not spread to even more homes.

One eyewitness told the Daily Echo the fire had started following a bonfire in a back garden and he’d heard an “explosion.”

Crews from Springbourne, Ferndown, Poole, Redhill Park and Westbourne attended.

Cranbrook Road was shut throughout the afternoon. Residents were advised to close their windows to prevent smoke getting into their homes.

The fire service said it received 28 calls reporting the incident.

One neighbour, who asked not to be named, said: “I know the people involved will not be thinking they are lucky in any way whatsoever right now, but at least nobody has been physically hurt.”
Mr Gillion said: “Conditions in the summer months are tinder dry, so we would urge people to think before lighting any open fires or barbecues.
“We would also always urge members of the public to ensure they have working smoke alarms fitted.”