The people of Ashill have shared their devastation and shock after a massive field fire tore through a dozen homes, covering the village in thick, black smoke.
Villagers have described the "traumatic" scenes after people were evacuated on Tuesday as fire in a field behind The Oaks spread to a row of properties near The Green.
It came on a day of devastation across the county with thousands of calls made to the fire service and callouts to 280 individual fires.
Emergency Services were called to the Ashill blaze at around 5pm with 14 fire engines and support appliances including crews from as far as Merseyside and Tyne and Wear.
At least 11 properties have been affected by the blaze, which is currently under investigation, with a number of properties also said to be affected but not yet confirmed. No-one has been injured.
Greg Preston, area manager, said crews arrived to a "very well developed fire" which was "rapidly developing" due to the heat and worked to prevent it further spreading across the village, with the risk The Green could have caught alight due to how dry it is.
"It was very dynamic", he added.
"For a few hours it was a really difficult operation.
"Our crews have been working exceptionally hard.
"Throughout the night we've been rolling firefighters through.
"When I arrived you could not see through the smoke.
"The smoke coming off the properties was so thick."
On Wednesday morning people were gathered on The Green taking in the aftermath of the blaze and watching firefighters continue to dampen down the scene.
A row of homes in the centre of the village including the old post office building have been left gutted with roofs, windows, doors and personal belongings destroyed.
Residents fled their homes to escape the growing inferno with just the clothes on their back, some managing to save their pets.
John and Donna Horn, and their children Sophie, 10, and Katie, 8, from Edward Close, were among the families left with nothing following the fire.
Mr Horn, who was at work at the time, shared how he had rushed home following calls from his wife telling him the fire "is on the way back to the house".
The 48-year-old, with the help of other villagers, tried to douse burning embers out the back of their properties before it became out of control and people were evacuated by the police.
He said: "Within 10 minutes of doing that the fire brigade came out onto the back field, within that time some embers had jumped up and hit the old post office garden, which set fire to the old post office.
"That ensued and followed all the way down, and the wind took it down the houses on our street next to us.
"Then the wind took it and circled us around, so we were in the garden and on the right hand side there were flames in Acacia on the back of their gardens, on the left of us it was down in our next door neighbours."
He said there had been some explosions after LPG gas and BBQs caught alight, describing Ashill as being "just black smoke" at one point.
Mr Horn said homes surrounding his had "all burnt to the ground", adding: "Some people have lost their whole life. It's devastating."
By around half past midnight the fire was still burning, locals said, and firefighters were still on scene at 5am.
Mr Horn added: "The first things the girls grabbed was the guinea pig, the hamster, their laptops of course and phone chargers.
"It was that sort of traumatic and quick we didn't have time to gather anything."
That same feeling of panic was shared by an 38-year-old woman, who asked not to be named, who also lost her home to the blaze.
The mum-of-one managed to escape her rented property within "minutes" of it catching fire with important documents, her ID and phone after seeing smoke and her fire alarm going off.
She said: "Everything is gone.
"All my antiques. I literally just brought antiques and keepsakes from my grandparents and parents who have gone. You are never going to get those back, It's irreplaceable.
"One of the other homes was being renovated and another had just been sold. When the smoke was coming over, one guy came running out with his tools.
"At first we were all on The Green, everyone was shocked.
"All around everything was on fire.
"No-one thought it would end up like this."
The resident found refuge at nearby Ashill Community Centre overnight and is currently awaiting to hear where she can be accommodated.
She added that the old post office, which is now home to a nursery, had closed early on Tuesday due to the extreme heat and was empty at the time of the fire.
Irene South, 77, who lives on Millfield, was among the villagers on The Green on Wednesday morning after she was made aware of the fire from a friend.
Her son owns one of the homes that had been destroyed and had been renting it out following four years of renovation.
She said: "It's awful, dreadful.
"We read these things but it's never on your doorstep. But now it is."
And Marta and Mauricio Vieira shared how they had been evacuated from their home on the other side of The Green at the time of the incident and were able to return home after 9pm on Tuesday.
"It was a sad scene", they said.
"The police knocked all the houses surrounding The Green and were evacuating people.
"Everyone was gathered at the community centre and because of the smoke we were then told to go to Holme Hale.
"We were worried our house would catch fire too because The Green is so dry.
"Everyone is in shock."
A community united
The Ashill community came together following the devastation setting up drop off and collection points at the Call In and Ashill Community Centre.
Within hours of opening on Wednesday, both venues were full with donations for those in need from clothes, bedding, toilettes and food.
Enid Turner, a volunteer at Ashill Village Aid, said they had opened up the Call Inn from 9am on Wednesday to allow people to deliver items and those in need to collect, with a "constant stream of people" coming in.
She said: "It's just amazing as Ashill people always are.
"People have been dropping off clothes, toys and games.
"We have 20 volunteers in our group and additional people are coming in helping."
The volunteer, who was born in the village, added she had "never seen anything like this".
Down the road at the community centre, volunteers were sorting through a hall full of donations.
Jennifer Collins, 23, said they had been collecting items from 9am on Wednesday and within a few hours the centre was full. Donations include clothes, food and toys, with Tesco in Watton providing items and people coming in from Sporle and Swaffham.
She said: "We have run out of tables.
"We have an amazing community and we will get through this.
"People who have lost everything have been coming in obviously distraught. they are so grateful for anything, even toothpaste.
"Some only have what they were wearing.
"It's soul destroying that people in the village have been left with nothing."
She said the centre would provide people with a place to sleep if needed.
Dee Bolton, community centre committee member, added: "We are overwhelmed by the generosity."
Support from Breckland Council
Sam Chapman-Allen, Breckland Council leader, said the council will support the community in the coming days, with its housing team offering to work with those who have lost their home to find temporary accommodation.
He said: “This is a real tragedy for Ashill and our thoughts are with the whole village, but especially those who have sadly lost their homes.
"Breckland Council officers and councillors were on the scene until the early hours of Wednesday morning to support the response and have been back to the village throughout Wednesday to provide additional support.
"This has been a heartbreaking event for the village, but once again we’ve seen the fantastic strength of community spirit in Breckland.”
The leader thanked the "heroic efforts" of the fire service and police, local parish councils and community groups who responded by organising aid and supplies "without a moments pause".
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