A HEROIC eyewitness to a Winsford house fire who helped evacuate nearby properties has described seeing sparks jumping from rooftop solar panels minutes before flames took hold.

Annette Martin was walking along Longmynd Rise on Monday morning, March 3, when the fire broke out.

She has praised neighbourhood community spirit after nearby residents rallied to make sure everyone was safe, and ensured the fire brigade had safe passage to the incident.

“I was walking past the house and noticed what looked like sparks coming from the solar panels. It didn’t look normal,” she said.

“I thought I’d go back and check later on and started thinking about other things, but as I was walking past I noticed people shouting.

“At first, I thought it was an argument. I turned around and saw flames coming from the roof.

“I asked if anyone was in and started knocking on neighbours’ doors. I was concerned for people living nearby.”

Annette was joined by another neighbour. The pair made sure everyone living nearby was out their homes while others prepared for the fire brigade.

“There was a lot of community spirit. Two gentleman organised people to move their cars out the way so the fire engines could get through easier,” added Annette – who then faced the difficult task of phoning the home’s owner to tell her the news.

“It was heartbreaking. I told her to sit down because I had bad news; that the fire brigade had been called to her house and there was nothing that could be done until they got here,” she said.

Crews from Winsford, Middlewich, Northwich, Holmes Chapel and Chester, as well as the hydraulic platform, rushed to the two-storey house at 11.25am.

Four firefighters wearing breathing apparatus used two hose reels and a main water jet to extinguish the blaze.

Roof spaces in adjoining properties were checked for the spread of fire, while power supplies were isolated by gas and electricity companies.

Crews exposed the roof and a thermal imaging camera was used to check the area for signs of fire.

No-one was injured in the blaze, but the fire has left a large hole in the roof of the property.

A spokesman for Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service said: “We believe the fire was caused by an electrical fault in the roof space. There’s going to be further investigations.”

A spokesman for Winsford neighbourhood policing unit said the fire was not being treated as suspicious.

A spokesperson for Weaver Vale Housing Trust (WVHT) said, “The property where the fire began is privately owned with WVHT properties either side.

“There was minimal damage to one of our homes and some water damage to the other. 

"Our staff are on site to make safe the homes and have been consulting with the occupiers who have chosen to move back into their homes once power has been restored later today.”