A family have been left homeless after their roof caught fire, destroying all their electrics.
Fire crews who were called to the blaze in Hazlemere Road, Benfleet, were met with clouds of black smoke and soot as flames shot into the air from the roof.
Officers spent nearly three hours battling with the inferno before they could bring the fire under control.
Even then, crews revisited the scene at regular intervals to make sure the building was safe.
Peter Taylor, sub officer at Hadleigh fire station, said he believed a blow torch being used by roof repair workers set fire to the building. He said: "There were roofers working on the roof and we think one of the blow lamps must have sparked and set fire to the roof.
"The whole roof was destroyed. There were huge flames and thick black smoke. Our crews needed to wear breathing apparatus to go inside."
Crews have covered the roof with salvage tarpaulin to protect the house from the weather while repairs are made.
Published Monday, June 23, 2003
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