After a shed fire in the middle of the night set off a gas explosion, a row of terraced homes were completely destroyed.
Just before 3.30am this morning, emergency services arrived at Ovenden Crescent in Halifax in response to reports of a burning shed.
Firefighters confirmed that the explosion outside the building was caused by the fire’s impact on utility supplies outside.
Following the fire and explosion, six homes were evacuated, and two people were treated by medical professionals for smoke inhalation.
In horrifying photos, the homes’ blackened roofs are completely blown off, and fires are still burning in the back of the buildings.
According to West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue, five crews from Illingworth, Halifax, Rastrick, Bradford, and Fairweather Green responded to a fire that had started at the back of a house on Ovenden Crescent in Halifax after receiving a call at 3:27 a.m. today (12 July).
‘The closest property and outbuildings were also affected by the fire.
An explosion outside the building was caused by the fire contacting utility supplies outside.
“Yorkshire Ambulance Service has treated two patients for smoke inhalation.”
There has been temporary rehousing set up after six homes had to be evacuated.
‘Our Fire Investigation team and West Yorkshire Police are currently looking into the cause of the fire.
To assist local residents as well as those who were directly impacted by the incident, WYFRS is collaborating with our partner agencies in the area.
Ovenden Crescent resident Margaret reported that the fire was “very big and frightening” and that neighbors hurried to wake up people in the neighboring homes.
She said to YorkshireLive: “I was just relieved that they were out. It was scary.” These homes are council bungalows designed for seniors.
Some of these seniors are housebound and disabled. They were ejected after someone banged on their doors.
Three people would have perished if someone had not seen the fire.
I walked outside to saw police cars and fire trucks. Fire was erupting from the ceiling. Six homes have sustained damage.
As two of the residences remain empty, there were just three individuals inside. It does not make me happy.
If those lads hadn’t spotted it and turned around, “those three persons may have been killed.”