Families flee houses after blast; DOORS AND WINDOWS BLOWN OUT BY EXPLOSION.

Byline: By LINDA RICHARDS

MORE than a dozen people fled their homes when a Tyneside house became an inferno.

Police evacuated residents for their own safety last night when a terraced property in Gateshead burst into flames.

The occupier, a man aged 80, escaped unhurt before fire crews arrived at 9.30pm. He was given assistance by police officers.

As firefighters prepared to go inside the property in Seascale Place, Beacon Lough, there was a massive explosion which blew out doors and windows.

Today families in Seascale Place described their shock at finding their neighbour's house engulfed in flames.

Cindy Foster, 29, who has three children aged one, four and six, was asleep in bed next to the blazing house when her smoke alarm went off and woke her up.

She said: "I could smell smoke, I thought it was coming from a fire in my back garden.

I looked out and saw flames coming from next door's upstairs windows.

"The alarm didn't wake the children. I grabbed them and we got out.

"The old man who lives next door was out. His grandson who is staying there got him out. The grandson also knocked on my door to tell me about the fire as I was on my way out with the children.

"We were all OK, we were lucky a neighbour across the road invited us in because it was freezing."

Brian James, 54, who lives across the road, said: "I was watching TV with the curtains open and I saw a red glow. I went outside to look and saw flames coming through the window of the house opposite.

"I heard an explosion, a loud bang, like a bomb going off."

Another neighbour was in bed watching TV when police knocked on her door and told her and her family to get out of the house.

She said: "I put a coat over my nightie and we stood in the street until we were allowed back in, it was cold and we were shivering."

The upstairs of the property was completely destroyed due to the ferocity of the fire, and the rest of the house suffered heat and smoke damage.

Smoke travelling through the roof void also caused slight damage to properties on either side. The cause of the fire is not known. Investigators from the fire service and police will examine the scene today in an effort to find out how it started.

After the explosion thick smoke poured from the property and was carried on the wind for half a mile towards the Queen Elizabeth Hospital.

Two crews, from Gateshead and Birtley, tackled the blaze, which broke out in a first-floor bedroom.

Gateshead crew manager Benjamin Walker said they passed through smoke billowing from the property as they drove along Old Durham Road.

He said: "Just before we went inside there was a loud explosion caused by the sudden rapid development of the fire.

"We were told someone else may be inside the building so we did a thorough search. Fortunately there was no-one else inside.

"Police officers evacuated people from surrounding terraces.

Between 12 and 20 people went to stay with neighbours or family and friends and were allowed back into their homes about an hour later.

"The severity of this fire and the damage it causes emphasises the need for all homes to have working smoke detectors.

"People can contact their local fire station and arrange a home fire risk assessment and for smoke alarms to be fitted."

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EVACUATION: Police outside the fire-hit house in Beacon Lough