7:30am Monday 1st June 2009
By John Geoghegan
A FIERCE blaze has left a 100-year-old cottage uninhabitable.
The semi-detached home went up in flames about 10.30am yesterday morning in South Street, Rochford.
The householder, a man thought to be in his fifties, is being found alternative accommodation by the council.
Firefighters said the incident started after the man lit a bonfire in his back garden which spread to the roof of the home.
Three crews from Southend and one from Hawkwell fire stations battled hard to stop the blaze spreading to the adjoining cottage and extinguished it by 11.30am.
Assistant divisional officer Martyn Hodder, from Southend station said: “The fire quickly caught hold and spread into the roof void.
“Firefighters worked excellently and quickly prevented the fire from spreading into the adjoining property.
“The neighbouring resident was evacuated along with her two dogs.”
The first floor and roof of the cottage were badly burned while the adjoining property suffered smoke damage. Fire crews used power tools to cut into the roof so the fire could be completely extinguished.
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