Dozens of firefighters tackle Chipping Sodbury blaze

“We live next door to the workshop and lost our garden shed and part of our carport in the blaze. My car was parked under the carport and the fire spread so quickly that it was too dangerous to move it. Astonishingly, despite being parked only four feet from the fire, it appears to have suffered only superficial heat damage to the bumper, bonnet paintwork and plastic headlight covers. A tribute to the fire proofing standards of Peugeot 207s! The police alerted us to the blaze at 1.30am and we and the occupants of several neighbouring properties were evacuated at about 1.40am. We spent a couple hours in Chipping Sodbury police station before being told we would not be allowed back into our homes until daylight. We all managed to find places to stay for the remainder of the night and were allowed back in at about 7.30 this morning. The police were terrific in the way they carried out the evacuation and looked after about 20 people - plus three dogs, one cat and three guine pigs - in the police station. We are very grateful for their hospitality and the excellent cups of tea! The fire service did a magnificent job in very difficult conditions - they had problems getting water to the fire as it was in an area with no direct access from the road. At the time we evacuated, my husband and I thought we would lose our 17th century house. The fire was raging out of control and sparks were raining down on the roof, which is constructed from oak. That the house was saved is entirely due to the splendid work of Avon Fire and Rescue. The workshop was full of timber and our shed contained paint and other combustible materials. My car could also have exploded at any time. We are so grateful that they braved the danger and saved our property. We have also been most impressed by the way they have conducted their investigations today. The same officers who fought the fire in the small hours were back on duty later in the morning, after an hour or two of snatched sleep at best. They are highly professional and a credit to their service.”