Terrified mothers carried babies and led bare-footed children to safety after a suspected arson attack on a block of flats in Southend.
Smoke and ashes - firefighters make the Longbow flats safe after last night's blaze drama Picture: ESSEX FIRE and RESCUE SERVICE
Sixty residents were evacuated last night as their flats filled with thick black smoke from fires started in lock-ups on the ground floor of Longbow, in Sherwood Way.
Firefighters from Southend, Leigh and Rochford came to the rescue after the blaze broke out around 9pm.
Two boys, 13 and 14, and a 17-year-old girl were arrested last night in connection with the fire. They were still being questioned today.
Caretaker Paul Wood said: "I got a knock on my door by someone who said there was a fire. I went out and it was well blazing. The smoke was gushing up the wall.
"This is the second one in the seven months I've been here."
Southend station commander Martyn Hodder said: "We could see plumes of smoke rising from the roof and the side of the building as we approached."
He said there were two separate fires in general storage lock-ups.
Published Tuesday June 29, 2004
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