Summer house blaze three years after garage burnt down
A MAN’S summer house burnt to the ground in a fire that is believed to have been started deliberately, just three years after another fire at his home.
Paul Brandon, from Ystalyfera, spent £6,000 transforming his garden after his garage burnt down in 2015, but on Tuesday night his summer house was burnt to the ground.
The 61-year-old was left with £35,000 of damage after the first incident in 2015, which also saw his car damaged beyond repair.
He never had the garage rebuilt and instead this year decided to landscape his garden and install a summer house.
He said: “I was busy with my son getting the Christmas decorations in from the shed as we were putting the tree up in the lounge. I sent my son back out to get something and when he was walking back he could see a glow coming from the summer house and saw it was burning from the inside.
“It took four minutes for it to burn to the ground. It was terrifying as the flames were massive.
“We’d kind of just started to relax after the first time so it was a massive shock for it to happen again.”
Mr Brandon, who has fibromyalgia – a long-term condition that causes pain all over the body, used the summer house as a place where he could go to relax.
He had been asleep inside it just 40 minutes before the fire started. Mr Brandon added: “It was a building of mine where I would go to relax and it was a really important space for me as it was far enough away from the house and it was just very tranquil.
“I’d been fast asleep in the summer house at 8.40pm and the fire started at 9.20pm.
“If I was fast asleep that would have been it, I would have been dead.
“My 17-year-old daughter went out for food and she came back to the flames in the summer house and she thought I was inside so she’s extremely nervous now.
“It’s taken away a space that is really important for me to manage my condition.”
Mr Brandon is now going to look at installing CCTV cameras in the garden to try to prevent any further fire-related incidents.
South Wales Police said it was thought the fire was started deliberately.
A spokeswoman for the force said: “South Wales Police is investigating a fire at an address on Milborough Road, Ystalyfera, which was reported at approximately 9.40pm on Tuesday, December 11.
“A summer house in the garden of the property was damaged by the fire, which is thought to have been started deliberately.”
The spokeswoman added: “Inquiries are ongoing and anyone with any information which could assist the investigation is asked to contact 101, quoting reference 1800468443.”