Residents flee homes as fire destroys flat in Thorn Nook, York

Fire experts said the blaze started accidentally in a bedroom of a council property in Thorn Nook, off Malton Road in Heworth, yesterday afternoon.

The first-floor flat was severely damaged, although there was nobody in it at the time and no one was injured.

Local resident Beverley Gill said she heard a commotion outside and rushed out to see the flat on fire.

“I saw windows exploding and smoke billowing,” she said.

“I have never seen so much smoke before. It was like a bomb had gone off. Everybody was screaming ‘get back!, get back!’”

Next-door neighbour Trevor Ruddock said he had gone out on to his balcony for a cigarette when he saw a car slamming its brakes on, and heard the driver shout: ‘There’s a fire next door!”

He said his priority was getting his two children – Scarlett, two, and Ebony, eight months – out of the building.

“Thick black smoke was filling the whole street, and you could hear the sound of popping and explosions, as if there were aerosols in there,” he said.

Mr Ruddock said that if the fire brigade had arrived ten minutes later, the consequences could have been even worse.

Group manager Mal Austwick, of North Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service, said the alarm had been raised by police officers who spotted smoke coming out of the flat as they were driving past, and the road was already cordoned off by the time firefighters arrived.

He said two fire crews from the Clifford Street station and another two from Acomb attended, and four firefighters wearing breathing apparatus went in to tackle the flames using hose reels.

“The heat was intense and severe damage was caused by the fire,” he said.

He added that the cause was not yet known and a fire investigator was looking into it.

City of York Council said a surveyor had been to the property yesterday afternoon and, while the authority was unable to say what the long-term impact would be, emergency accommodation would be provided, if required.