A blaze started by a fire pit spread to adjoining gardens and caused superficial damage to four houses in Norwich.

Firefighters were called to Knowland Grove in Norwich just before 7.30pm on Saturday, April 24, after the blaze was reported to emergency services.

Fire-believed-to-be-caused-by-a-firepit-damaged-five-gardens

Crews from Sprowston and Carrow wore breathing apparatus and used main and hose reel jets to put it out.

A thermal imaging camera was then used to check for hotspots, before the stop message was received at 8.06pm.

In footage taken by an eyewitness, flames can be seen several metres high after the fire got out of control as black smoke billows into the air.

A spokesperson for the fire service confirmed several fence panels had been set alight, and that the heat from the blaze had caused damage to the windows and guttering of four houses.

"It was quite a serious incident from something that started out quite minor," they said, adding they have seen an increase in similar incidents in recent weeks.

The witness, who did not want to be named, said: "People need to be much more aware when there are areas built up like this – it's taken a neighbour's whole garden.

"I feel there needs to be laws against such appliances in such a small area. It put the houses at risk and people could have been seriously injured.

"I just want people to be aware of how dangerous it can be to use these things in such small gardens and such dry weather conditions."

They added two rabbits were rescued from the garden.

Photos taken after the blaze had been put out showed a fire pit surrounded by the charred remains of several fence panels which had been destroyed by the fire.

It proved to be a busy weekend for the Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service, which received 44 callouts across Saturday and Sunday.

At the same time as the two crews were putting out the garden fire in Norwich, four more sets of firefighters were in North Elmham putting out a blaze which destroyed a bungalow and saw one man taken to hospital for smoke inhalation.