A fierce blaze destroyed a charity's Southend warehouse sending 30ft flames and plumes of thick black smoke billowing into the sky.
Firefighters braved the threat of an exploding gas cylinder and evacuated nearby homes as the blaze swept through the Hamelin Trust off Victoria Avenue, Southend, at 6.45pm last night.
The jobs of 35 special needs adults who restore furniture at the centre were today in jeopardy.
Fire crews said two vans, one of which contained an acetylene canister, went up in flames and the blaze spread to the nearby warehouse, owned by the trust.
Charity spokesman Martin Jacobs feared for thousands of pounds worth of furniture inside the building, being restored for sale in the trust's charity shops.
Published Wednesday August 11, 2004
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