A £6 disposable barbecue has left eight families homeless after triggering a devastating fire that ripped through a terrace in Essex.
The blaze broke out on June 21 and left all eight homes on a Basildon street completely unliveable.
Fire crews from seven stations rushed to the scene as flames tore across the connected rooftops.
Paryss Reynolds, 25, said her mother, Cara, had been using the disposable BBQ to cook when a nearby tree suddenly caught fire.
“My mum was home alone… she’d cooked a burger on a disposable barbecue, something we’ve done loads of times, and went inside to eat,” Ms Reynolds said.
“A minute later she heard this huge roar and ran outside. A tree near our fence was completely on fire. She ran back in to grab a bucket of water, but by the time she came back out, it had already spread to the roof. The whole thing was engulfed in flames.”
Because the homes were terraced, the fire spread at terrifying speed, tearing through all eight properties.
Ms Reynolds said the aftermath has been heartbreaking, with her family losing everything they owned.
“I still can’t believe my home is gone. But it’s not just us — these are all family homes, and everyone has been left homeless,” she said.
She also said her mother has been left deeply traumatised.
“My mum can’t get the sound of the sirens out of her head. She’s in shock and absolutely heartbroken. She feels so guilty about what happened to everyone.”
Mike Campbell, 37, who lives across the road, watched the fire unfold and said he feels lucky his own home escaped serious damage.
“We saw the smoke and the fire engines arrived soon after. It looked like the bitumen on an old flat roof caught — it was terrifying,” he said.
His home backs onto the affected terrace and suffered only minor ash and debris damage.
“I don’t know what they’ll do if the homes are beyond repair because they’re prefabricated. It’s really sad.”
Several fundraising campaigns have been launched to help the displaced families, with Basildon Council also setting up a GoFundMe.
Ms Reynolds, her mother and brother are currently staying in a hotel arranged by local authorities while they search for somewhere more suitable.
They were briefly allowed back inside to collect belongings, but the damage was severe.
“We were allowed back to grab a few things, and it’s awful. The roof is bowing and looks like it could collapse,” she said.
Living in a hotel has been especially difficult as the family has pets.
“The council have put us in a hotel room, but as a family of three with pets, we need to find somewhere else.”
During a return visit, she spotted the family cat but couldn’t catch her.
“When I went back yesterday, I found our cat, but she was so scared she ran off before I could get her.”
Despite the devastation, support from the community has offered some comfort.
“This has been absolutely devastating, but the support people have shown through the fundraiser has brought me to tears,” Ms Reynolds said.
