A RESIDENT in Ferndown whose house was damaged when a fire in their neighbours property spread and charred their garage and shed have recalled the events of the incident on Saturday night.

Having spent most of the evening assisting with the response to the major flat fire in Holdenhurst Road, Bournemouth, fire fighters from Ferndown fire station were called to a blaze on Bracken Road on Saturday August 8 at 10.30pm.

The fire is believed to have been started accidentally by an electrical appliance.

Ellie Mayweather usually lives in Madrid, but just came home to her parents place in Ferndown for the summer and was there when the fire took hold.

The 26-year-old said: “It was my stepdad who noticed the fire first.

“He heard a bang which he thought was the fireworks that had been about earlier in the day, but then he heard a very loud bang and our power suddenly went out about 10.30pm.

“When he saw the flames, he started banging on next door’s windows and doors to make sure they knew, and they got out.

“Then my parents moved the cars away from the house while I carried the dog, who is very old, into the front garden.”

Four fire crews attended, from Lyndhurst, who had been on standby in Ringwood, Ferndown, Cranborne and Bere Regis, on stand-by in Bournemouth area due to Holdenhurst Road incident.

Whilst most of the items lost to the fire could be replaced, Ellie said the time and effort put into her dad's workshop is “irreplaceable”.

She added: “Looking back all the 'stuff' can be replaced, but my parents are incredibly house proud and put so much work and effort into the house.

“My stepdad is a welder and the garage was his workshop or weekend sanctuary. The work and care he put into it is irreplaceable.

“My heart goes out to next door who lost more than we did. But the neighbourhood really came together, not a single person who came out to watch the fire didn’t offer to help or ask if we wanted a cup of tea.”

Firefighters wore breathing apparatuses and used a jet and three hose reel jets to put out the fire, which was stopped at 11.50pm.

A spokesman from Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service said: “We were called to Bracken Road, Ferndown at 10.33pm on Saturday August 8 for a fire involving two single storey garages.

“Four fire crews attended, from Lyndhurst, Ferndown, Cranborne and Bere Regis.

“Six breathing apparatus wearers used one main jet and three hose reel jets to extinguish the fire.

“The fire started accidentally in an electrical appliance.”