A grass fire that spread to homes and gardens in Stoke-on-Trent was accidentally started by a disposable barbecue, an investigation has concluded.
The blaze broke out in Sandyford Park on Thursday before spreading rapidly to properties in the Goldenhill area of the city. High wind speeds combined with extremely dry conditions led to severe damage to four homes, destroying roofs and blowing out windows, Staffordshire Fire and Rescue reported.
Four firefighters were taken to hospital after suffering smoke inhalation and heat exhaustion. Three have since been discharged, while one firefighter currently remains in hospital.
An inquiry by the fire service confirmed that the accidental blaze, which destroyed a number of gardens in Maureen Avenue and Sandy Road, forced local residents to be evacuated to a nearby community centre.
The fire in Stoke-on-Trent was one of several that occurred across Wales, the West Midlands and other regions last week, leading Prime Minister Andy Burnham to announce a temporary ban on disposable barbecues amid ongoing hot conditions.
Station manager Liam Hickey, who attended the scene, said: "This incident goes to show the devastation and impact that disposable barbecues can have on local communities.
"Although this incident took place before the temporary national ban was announced, it shows why it is so important that people adhere to these new rules and do everything possible to help protect people in Staffordshire from the risks of wildfires during a period of continued unpredicted demand.
"We are continuing to do everything we can to tackle these fires and carry out prevention activity in high-risk areas, and we ask that people continue to take extra precautions to help ease the impact on local communities and emergency services who continue to work hard to keep people safe."
Last week, a director based at Goldenhill community centre said the fire had been “devastating” for the community, but local people had rallied together.
Nicola Beresford told the Press Association: “Local takeaways were bringing food for people who were taking refuge here.
“We have had so many members of the community coming in, offering donations.
“We’re now at the point where we physically can’t accept any more and we’re trying to co-ordinate needs with the local authority so we can prioritise each family so we can get aid out to them as quickly as possible.”
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