Huge fire spreads to ten homes with thick smoke billowing into air & gardens scorched after ‘barbecue sparked blaze’

A MASSIVE fire reportedly caused by a BBQ ripped through ten homes and left four in ruins. The blaze erupted at 2.40pm yesterday, with eight fire engines scrambling to the scene. The fire service said ten properties were involved in the fire, with the blaze having also spread to the gardens Credit: Eddie Mitchell The flames tore through the roofs of several homes Credit: Eddie Mitchell Flames quickly tore through the buildings in Ash Keys, Crawley, with locals urged to keep their windows and doors closed. West Sussex Fire & Rescue Service rushed to bring the inferno under control throughout the afternoon. Sign up for The Sun newsletter Thank you! Pictures show the devastation wrought by the flames, leaving four homes gutted and burned. In the aftermath, holes can be seen in the roofs, with the walls charred and windows blown out. West Sussex Fire & Rescue Service rushed to bring the inferno under control throughout the afternoon Credit: Eddie Mitchell Pictures show the devastation wrecked by the flames, leaving four homes gutted and burned Credit: Eddie Mitchell The fire service said ten properties were involved in the fire, with the blaze having also spread to the gardens. Four were seriously damaged in the blaze. A West Sussex Fire & Rescue Service spokesperson said: “The fire involves 10 properties, with four seriously damaged. Crews are working hard to bring the fire under control and to extinguish it. “We would like to use this opportunity to remind people that the Fire Severity Index, which measures how severe a fire would be if one were to break out, remains very high in West Sussex due to the prolonged warm, dry weather. Most read in The Sun “We are encouraging people to avoid using disposable barbecues and having bonfires in outdoor spaces, pick up litter if you see it, extinguish smoking materials properly, and to report any signs of fire immediately by calling 999.” It comes after three grassland blazes spread rapidly across a nature reserve with locals urged to avoid the area. Emergency services were called to a wildfire at Barr Beacon in Birmingham yesterday afternoon. The another blaze started at Perry Hall Playing Fields at 12.45pm, with huge plumes of smoke seen billowing from the park. Four homes were seriously damaged in the blaze Credit: Eddie Mitchell The blaze was reportedly sparked by a barbecue Credit: Eddie Mitchell And a third wildfire broke out at a park in Hay Mills at around 4pm. It comes after an inferno engulfed Dunwich Heath in Suffolk on Wednesday evening. Terrified residents were evacuated from their homes and caravans as the blaze ravaged approximately 150 acres of the scenic landscape. Over 120 firefighters were deployed to tackle the blaze, located just three miles from Sizewell B nuclear power station. A major incident was declared “due to the size and complexity” of the wildfire. Chief fire officer of Suffolk’s Fire and Rescue Service, Jon Lacey described the fire as “one of the largest that I remember in the history of Suffolk”. The wildfire crept within metres of Harry Potter actor Ralph Fiennes’ property, with shocking aerial footage showing scorched land bordering his home. Comment now