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'I heard a big bang, like a bomb going off'

Elliot BallWest Midlands
BBC In the centre of the shot is a large, semi-detached home that has been gutted by fire on both floors, with its roof and windows missing. To the left and right are homes unaffected by the blaze. A garden lean-to in a garden at the front is also unaffected.BBC
Pershore resident Robert Jones watched in horror as the blaze quickly spread from gardens to homes in Lancelott Court and Three Springs Road

A resident has described hearing a "big bang" like a "bomb going off" in the lead up to a fire that saw three houses gutted and dozens of people evacuated.

Robert Jones, of Three Springs Road in Pershore, watched as gardens, fences, and then houses ignited "in seconds".

Six people were treated at the scene on Thursday, and more than 30 homes were evacuated including the one owned by Jones, who lives directly opposite the worst affected properties.

"I was very sad for the people that owned the house, because it's not the house, it's the memories of it," he said. "If things like pictures have gone they're never going to get those back."

Talking of the moments before the blaze took hold, Jones said: "I heard a big bang, like a bomb going off.

"We rushed outside to find the grass at the front was on fire so we put that out before I went up to the garage to look across the road.

"It looked like the fire seemed to be coming from the Rail Ground, on the corner, so it was all smoke coming up there."

A terraced row of brick-built homes, with two whose doors and windows that were destroyed in the fire having now been boarded-up. To the right a third property apparently looks unaffected.
Homes in Lancelott Court have been boarded up after being completely gutted

Pershore councillor, Dan Boatright-Greene, said the affected homes had been social housing.

He praised operators Platform Housing for a "brilliant" response, adding: "This is going to take quite some time to fix.

"It's going to be a case of us working with the social housing company to make sure they have somewhere that is permanent for them.

"It's very unlikely people will be moving into these houses for a while as these things do take time."

'Almost apocalyptic'

BBC reporter Millie Trenholm returned to the scene on Monday morning, and described the atmosphere as "almost apocalyptic".

She said: "The street is silent.

"I haven't seen any movement, the fire engines are gone and there's not many cars around whatsoever.

"The houses are now bordered up with wooden panels, blocking the windows and the doors.

"Metal fences surround the houses, with signs reading "danger" and "keep out" plastered all around."

Millie Trenholm is stood outside the affected properties. She has long brown hair with her sunglasses on her head. She is wearing a dark red t-shirt and is clutching a black microphone.
In the aftermath of the blaze in Pershore, BBC reporter Millie Trenholm said the scene felt "eerie" after seeing a frenzy of activity on the same road

She added: "Within the fencing stands a tree, where on one side it looks normal and from the other it's just branches, no leaves.

"More than three days on since the fire began, there is still a smell of smoke in the air, which is likely to remain for a while.

"Even the birds aren't chirping on this street.

"It's eerie."

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