Hythe man loses almost everything in Elm Avenue house fire

A HYTHE man says he has lost almost everything he owns in a devastating blaze which tore through two homes.

Neil Cotton said treasured possessions like photos of his late wife Lorraine were lost in the fire at his home in Elm Avenue on Thursday evening.

Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service confirmed the blaze was caused by a bonfire in Mr Cotton's back garden that got out of control and spread to both his and his neighbour's property.

Retired lorry driver Neil, who had major surgery to remove a lung just two weeks before the blaze, said he was first alerted to the fire by a popping sound in his back garden.

Neil said: "I had set a bonfire earlier in the evening, but I had a hose and I had doused it down thoroughly before going to bed.

"Later on I heard a loud popping sound outside. When I went into the back garden there was a fence panel already on fire. I tried to douse it with the hose, but within a few minutes the fire had already spread to the conservatory before spreading to the roof."

Neil's daughter Sarah and her family, who were staying at Neil's home that night, then got out of the property.

Sarah also called the fire service and tried to raise the alarm with Neil's neighbours, who were not home at the time.

Widower Neil, who lost his wife Lorraine to cancer in February, said: "It's been absolutely awful. You keep getting flashbacks of all the things you remember that you've lost. It was all of my wife's belongings, her memories, our wedding rings, photos of her."

Neil is staying with his sister Tracey and her family until he finds new accommodation with help of a housing association.

Tracey said: "I've been through the house and it's completely devastated.

"We've salvaged some things from the back garden but that's it."

Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service sent six pumps to tackle the fire and stayed until early Friday morning to ensure the fire was fully extinguished.

A service spokesperson said that no one was hurt in the blaze.