‘Flames higher than houses’ say residents evacuated from Peterborough blaze

Residents were evacuated to the Cresset. Pictures David Lowndes

Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service (CFRS) said they were called to a large blaze at Hyholmes, North Bretton, at 12.31am on Sunday (August 16).

Crews discovered a substantial fire in a building which was affecting a gas mains supply so residents within a 100m cordon of the incident were evacuated.

Hyholmes resident Bryan Grantham said: “My son is staying with us and got up to go to the loo. He saw the blue lights flashing and woke us up.

Flames were estimated to be 30ft high at the scene in Bretton. Pictures David Lowndes.

“We could see from our window that the flames were growing. They were shooting up and were above the height of the houses. It had been going for some time by that stage.

“Police knocked at the door and asked us to leave and go down to the car park at Sainsbury’s. We were there about half an hour and then they opened up the Cresset. They had water and teas and coffees going and people were able to wait there.”

Mr Grantham and his family then went to stay with a resident in Sugar Way.

“We are tired but alright,” he said. “Our house is probably on the edge of the exclusion zone and some distance from the fire.”

Residents evacuated to The Cresset after a fire in a gas main at Bretton. Pictures David Lowndes

Another Hyholmes resident Danielle Skipp, told the Peterborough Telegraph.

“My boyfriend woke at 12.30 and heard a noise. We thought it was the TV so we unlugged it. We heard two bangs and at first thought it was work taking place on the railway nearby. But when my boyfriend looked out of the window the sky was glowing and blue lights were flashing.

“We got dressed and ran towards the scene to see if anyone needed help.

“Police there told us the sub station was on fire. There were a lot of us in the street and then the police started to move us further and further back.

“Then police came and started checking names and addresses and accounting for everyone in the street. They were talking to people in the street and knocking on doors.

“We were then taken to Thorpe Wood police station in police vans and they gave us drinks there.

“Then they took us to the Cresset and we are here now and expecting to be here for some time.”

Danielle said that residents had been grateful for the support of emergency services.

“The police officers, firefighters, people from the Red Cross and everyone has been fantastic,” she said. “They have been talking to us, bringing food and drink and checking on us. They have all been brilliant and I can’t praise them highly enough.

“We are all tired. It’s been a long night but thankfully we have been told nobody is injured so that’s the main thing.”

Another resident told us: The fire was pretty frightening. Flames were 30 to 40 feet high that I could see. It was a dramatic scene.”