Barbecue fire leaves two Little Walden families homeless

The barbecue had been left on decking to cool off

A portable barbecue left to cool on decking caused a fire that left two families homeless.

The blaze started outside the houses in Petlands in Little Walden, Essex, on Saturday night.

It spread from the decking to a semi-detached house, and then on to the adjoining property, the county's fire service said.

Neighbours were praised for rescuing two people from one of the houses and trying to put out the fire.

"With the weather being so hot and dry, this fire spread very quickly across the decking, through screening and to the houses," watch manager Paul Curtis said.

"During this hot weather, we'd advise that you're extra cautious when using disposable barbecues as they stay hot for a lot longer than people think, and all it will take to start a fire in this hot and dry weather is an ember and a slight breeze."

The fire service said the two properties involved were "badly damaged and left both families homeless".