SMOKE towered above a village as a fire raged in a field just yards from homes.
Dozens of residents of Harvington, near Evesham, had to be evacuated from their homes in response to a rapidly spreading blaze, which started in a field on Sunday morning (August 2).
Many of the residents found solace at the nearby pub, The Coach and Horses.
Sarah Carson, landlady of the Coach and Horses said: “Quite a lot of people who have come in today were those who have been evacuated from their homes.
“There has been a real community feel about today.”
Firefighters were battling the flames for several hours (Image: Emma Nishigaki)
The pub and many surrounding houses were hit by a power cut for around 30 minutes at 12pm, but this was a safety measure, likely due to the power lines which pass through the then-burning field.
“We only missed out on our first bookings, so it has not affected us much,” Mrs Carson said.
Victoria Rackley-Rich and her husband were among the first people to see the flames as they spread through the field.
The aftermath of the fire has left the field charred, and the smell of smoke was still strong in the air (Image: Newsquest)
She said: “My husband works for London fire service, and we saw it just as one engine arrive.
“He helped, as well as many members of the community.
“Without them, I think there would have been an even closer call, the fire was very close and took half of someone’s back lawn.”
At its peak, eight Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service crews from across Worcestershire, alongside a water carrier, an incident command unit, and three senior officers responded to the incident, which took around four hours to completely extinguish.
The fire got within just a few yards of several homes (Image: Newsquest)
Station Commander John Elsworth of HWFRS said: “We had a fire in the field which, due to the wind and how dry everything is, spread really quickly.
“Due to the extremely assertive actions by the initial crews, the fire was extinguished just prior to any of the buildings being damaged. But this did take a significant amount of hard work in a very short period of time by the crews.
“The residents were particularly helpful and they have already expressed their extreme gratitude.
At its peak, the fire was being tackled by eight crews (Image: Newquest)
“This has been an extreme success. Today, the fire service and the crews deserve a massive pat on the back.”
Mr Elsworth added that the cause of the fire is currently under investigation.
