Ten fire engines called to fire behind Welwyn care home

Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service crews tackled the blaze, which is believed to have started in an outbuilding behind Heath Lodge Residential Care Home at 10.20am.

The fire spread to a nearby residential mobile home site, affecting two mobile homes.

Residents of Heath Lodge were safely evacuated to Autumn Vale Care Home, which is located on the same site.

All residents were accounted for with no reports of injuries and they have since been able to return home.

A spokesperson from Hertfordshire County Council said: "The cause of the fire has been determined as accidental."

Fire crews used multiple hose reel jets, main jets and breathing apparatus to contain the fire and prevent it spreading further.

Darren Cook, assistant chief fire officer, said: "This incident is a stark reminder of how quickly fire can spread in the hot and dry conditions we are currently experiencing.

"It’s really important to take extra care during these periods of warm, dry weather where even a small fire can spread rapidly and have serious consequences.

"Thanks to the swift actions of our firefighters, control team and the support of partner agencies, we were able to contain the fire and prevent further damage.

"Fortunately, no one was injured and I'd like to thank staff at Heath Lodge and Autumn Vale Care Homes for their cooperation throughout and for helping to ensure residents remained safe and supported."

The fire was managed with support from Hertfordshire Constabulary, the East of England Ambulance Service, Affinity Water, the Environment Agency and Hertfordshire County Council’s Resilience Team.

Hertfordshire County Council's Resilience Team is providing support to those connected to the affected mobile homes.