CREWS FIGHT HOUSE BLAZE
Firefighters tackled a major house fire in a Sunderland street yesterday.
Smoke and flames could be seen coming from the top floor of a terraced house in Croft Avenue, behind the Chesters pub.
Seven fire appliances, including an aerial ladder platform, and 28 firefighters attended the two-storey building.
Police and ambulance crews also attended the scene, although Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service said no one was injured in the fire, which was dealt with by about 5pm.
The cause of the blaze was being investigated.
Michael Cook, whose bedroom overlooks the scene 15 to 20 metres away, said the fire broke out at about 2.10pm.
The 21-year-old student said: “It was just lots of smoke at first, then eventually, just as the fire service arrived, you actually could see flames coming out of the windows.
“They managed to put the fire out, but it was still smoking. I’m not sure what caused it. It looks like it started in the attic.
“The roof of the house is really messed up, and all the beams are really damaged.
“I don’t think anybody was inside at the time.”
Lynn Carter, from Ford Estate, captured the drama on video, after she came
“You actually could see flames coming out of the windows” MICHAEL COOK
across the fire while out shopping at about 2pm.
The 50-year-old said: “I saw a bit of smoke when I was walking along Chester Road. I walked past the street and the smoke got thicker and thicker.
“There were four fire engines that turned up.
“The roof was absolutely blazing. It was bad.”
A nearby resident who wished not to be named said: “Something drastic must have happened because the roof seems to have come off.
“It was obviously a big fire, there were lots of emergency services here, pretty much straight away. It was frightening to see.”
A spokeswoman from Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service said: “We had six fire engines in attendance.”