Dereham fire on Amsterdam Way sees report of explosion

The fire began on Amsterdam Way on Saturday night, and it was reported that no one was hurt in the incident and pets were rescued safely.

Firefighters from Dereham and Watton were called out to tackle the blaze, which happened at about 9.30pm.

"It was really scary," said a neighbour. "I saw a ball of colour from my window begin to grow across the way. 

"Then there was an explosion, and I could hear people shout, 'Get out! Get out!'

"By then the fire reached all the way up to the gutter.

"I called next door to make sure everyone knew about it, but then firefighters arrived shortly after, so there wasn't much more I needed to do. 

"The firefighters were brilliant. They took hold of the situation immediately."

The incident lasted about 90 minutes on the Hillcrest Estate.

The neighbour added: "I went to bed around midnight, and by then all was quiet again."

READ MORE: Six crews called to fight house blaze in Dereham

Others in the area rallied together to ensure everyone was safe. 

Neighbour Rafal Dopierala, whose garden was partially affected by the fire, said that he didn't know what caused it.

"I left the house shortly, and when I came back, there were police outside telling everyone to get out of the house," he said.

The area has already been hit by devastation when a fire broke out earlier this year on Lisbon Road. 

Progress has been made to restore the homes on Lisbon Way that were affected by a fire in late January. (Image: Newsquest)
A man was hospitalised with minor injuries on January 24 after a blaze was reported to the Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service.

The two homes that were struck by the fire are currently being restored, but remain empty.