Leigh fire: Crews fight accidental roof blaze at block of flats

Witnesses say residents were evacuated temporarily due to the fire at the homes in Leigh Hill, Leigh at about 4pm yesterday.

They also say it was caused by solar panels and it took the firefighters two hours to reach the roof and blaze.

It took fire crews four hours to put out the blaze and trains were stopped as the incident was so close to the lines.

Images from the scene show fire engines outside the block of flats as the crews extinguished the fire.

Efforts - the crews on the scene

Resident Peter Hills, 69, of Leigh Park Road, Leigh said: "It was the flat roof the panels sit on that was alight and the panels are all buckled and twisted.

"There was a lot of people outside so people were evacuated for a short time and the firefighters were going into the flats to try and get access to the fire.

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"The fire crews had quite a bit of difficulty reaching the fire and a turntable fire engine arrived and then the water was applied."

He said there was lots of smoke and the smell was awful like burning plastic. He said he also told to the firefighters to help direct them to the blaze.

A spokesman for Essex Fire Service said: "We were called to a fire affecting the roof of a three-storey block of flats on Leigh Hill, Leigh yesterday at 4.04pm.

"Two crews from Southend, including the aerial ladder platform, and one crew from Leigh attended.

"Due to the proximity of the fire to railway lines, we liaised with rail operators who stopped trains from running for a short time. The fire was fully extinguished at 7.59pm.

"The cause has been recorded as accidental."