Chelmsford fire ripping through 15 gardens caused by chimenea

The fire spread through gardens, destroying sheds, outbuildings and damaging five homes

A fire which forced 40 people to be evacuated from their homes as flames spread through several gardens, was caused accidentally by a chimenea, a fire investigation has concluded.

Firefighters were called to the garden fires in Greenwood Close in Chelmsford, Essex, on Saturday night.

Seven people were treated by paramedics and 15 homes were damaged.

More than 30 firefighters dealt with the blaze, which had spread quickly through gardens and sheds.

It was extinguished at about 23:10 BST, about an hour after crews were called.

The fire service has urged people not to light fires in their gardens, including barbecues and fireworks

Following the fire, area manager for Essex Fire and Rescue service, Neil Fenwick, said: "While summer weather usually provides the perfect opportunity to host a barbecue or gather around a chimenea in the evening, we're strongly discouraging people from having any kinds of fires at the moment.

"The ground across Essex is extremely dry, allowing fires to spread easily and quickly."

He added: "Please don't have barbecues or bonfires. Please don't use fireworks or set off sky lanterns.

"Doing so could cause a large scale fire like the one we've seen this evening."