Watford embankment fire spreads to row of gardens

Some residents of a street have spent the night in emergency accommodation after a fire spread from a railway embankment behind their homes.

More than 60 firefighters tackled the blaze on Saturday, which broke out in bushes then spread to 12 gardens along Bradshaw Road, Watford.

Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service said no-one was hurt. One home was gutted, with two more badly damaged.

A fire service spokeswoman said an investigation was under way.

She said it was not known how many of the terraced homes were evacuated, after the blaze broke out just before 14:30 BST.

She added it was believed the recent run of warmer weather had helped to accelerate the blaze.

"The drier vegetation would have played a part in how quickly it spread," she said.

Police were also called to the scene and people were advised to avoid the area.

Watford Borough Councillor Asif Khan, who attended the scene, said: "There is a railway embankment that caught light - then very, very quickly back garden fences, a couple of trees and from there one of the houses caught fire.

"They're just so lucky there weren't any injuries or fatalities."