Couple left homeless by blaze at their house in Pike Hills Mount, Copmanthorpe

The detached property in Pike Hills Mount, Copmanthorpe, was left with a gaping hole in its roof, one side of the house severely damaged, windows burned out and the top floor ravaged following the blaze that took hold around 2pm yesterday.

The homeowners of eight years, a husband and wife, were helpless as they stood and watched their belongings go up in smoke.

The cause of the fire is being investigated. The homeowner, who declined to be named, said: “We were out shopping and I only knew there was a fire when my neighbour called me.

“We came back down the A64 and it was filled with smoke, and there was a police car sitting on the bridge.

“We knew there was no-one in the house when we got back, and I suppose that’s the only good thing.”

The couple are now looking for alternative accommodation as they begin to piece their lives back together.

Crews from York, Acomb, Huntington, Selby and an aerial ladder platform were all sent to tackle the fire.

At its height, thick, black smoke billowed across the carriageway of the nearby A64, and police urged drivers to take care.

David Watson, fire safety officer with North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service, said:

“Initially we weren’t sure if there was anyone in the house or not, so we treated that as a ‘persons reported’ case, and sent teams into the property with breathing apparatus.

“I’m focusing my attention on the side of the property, but as of yet I haven’t excavated that side, so can’t say anything until I’ve had a good look. It’s extensively damaged and will be uninhabitable until repair work is carried out. The entire contents of the house will be either smoke or fire-damaged.”

Neighbours spoke of their shock as they stood and watched firefighters extinguish the blaze. Next-door neighbour Margaret Galloway, 74, said the fire was “unbelievable”.

She said she had smelled burning and said: “I went back in the house and thought the smell was worse, then the whole house was alight.

“I moved my car out of the way then just saw it go. There was a lot of smoke, a huge amount of smoke, and at one point they were about to close the A64.”

Another neighbour, who declined to be named, added: “I got out of the shower and shouted to my husband to see what was going on outside. He thought it was just a garden fire but when he looked out he screamed to me to call 999.

“When we got outside there was black smoke billowing into the air.

“It is your worst nightmare.”

Another neighbour, Tony Hallewell, 74, said: “It’s horrendous.

“You never imagine anything like this happening.”