Cause of Bury St Edmunds inferno, which engulfed three houses in St Olaves Road, revealed

The cause of an inferno that took hold in a Bury St Edmunds street earlier this week has been revealed.

A trio of houses in St Olaves Road, on the Howard Estate, were engulfed in flames on Tuesday afternoon, with firefighters being called at 4.45pm.

St Olaves Road was shut from the roundabout by Suffolk Police and a resident described hearing what sounded like an explosion.

At its peak, six engines attended the scene, with firefighters working through the night to dampen the flames, eventually having to strip the roof of the building. No casualties were reported.

Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service has determined the cause of the blaze.

A spokesman told SuffolkNews: “The cause of the fire was due to careless disposal of a cigarette butt, where burning material fell through the gaps in the timber decking and ignited dry refuse that had accumulated there.

“It spread to a hedge and neighbouring conservatory and to the roof of the terraced properties.”

The fire service is urging smokers to take care when disposing of cigarette butts.

These include ensuring they are snuffed out properly in an ashtray and wetted before being disposed of.

A full list of safety tips can be found on the fire service’s website.

In the wake of the blaze, a JustGiving page was set up by a resident of the Howard Estate.

It has raised nearly £1,200.