Finedon caravan company fire investigations underway after huge blaze

Fire investigators using a specialist sniffer dog have been called in to find the cause of a huge blaze that engulfed up to a dozen caravans, outbuildings and gardens in Finedon.

At the height of the fire, five crews using a water tanker battled to put out the flames at The Caravan Company site in Irthlingborough Road last night (Friday, July 8).

As smoke billowed across the area sending large pieces of molten plastic and fibreglass from burning caravans across neighbouring properties, residents were advised to stay indoors and close windows and doors.

The alarm was raised by Karen and Rob Buxton who were sitting in their garden, over the fence from the caravan parking area, when they smelt smoke.

Karen said: “It was about 7.30pm and we were sitting in the garden when we smelt burning. At first we thought it could be a barbeque or someone’s bonfire, then it smelt like plastic so we went to investigate.”

Rob looked over the fence and could see a bin on fire. By the time he and a neighbour had got round to the main entrance, they saw a caravan was fully alight – and Karen called 999.

He said: “The wind spread the flames to four caravans by our fence, then three more caught fire, and then a portacabin.”

Firefighters arrived within minutes and the couple tried to help direct the officers. Police shut the A6 for several hours as the blaze ripped through the stock, using the one nearby hydrant and a water bowser.

Crews remained on the scene until after midnight damping down after a number of large gas bottles were caught in the flames. The heat was so intense that a metal fence buckled.

This morning a specialist fire investigation dog will be brought to the scene from Derbyshire to help ascertain the possible cause of the blaze.

Rob was out early this morning surveying the damage and trying to salvage anything from their allotment now reduced to ashes.

He added: “I managed to save our chickens but I couldn’t get to round to the door to save all our quail – five are gone.

"I’ve put hundreds of hours into this garden, it’s our sanctuary but we will rebuild this.”