A furious pensioner who had a blazing row with her neighbour after a fence caught fire between their two homes claims he started it and has branded him a ‘complete idiot’.
Sue Wheatley, 65, says the fire started when her neighbour set fire to wood in his back garden and says it then spread to the fence which separates the two homes.
Shocking footage of the incident shows the fence ablaze and Ms Wheatley and her neighbour having a row over who was to blame with her shouting: ‘Don’t just stand there and watch!’
Sue Wheatley, 65, says the fire started when her neighbour set fire to wood in his back garden and says it then spread to the fence which separates the two homes
The fire happened in Mountbatten Avenue in Chatham, Kent, on Sunday evening.
Ansis Valdmanis filmed the fire and argument and posted it on the Facebook group Medway Misérables.
He said: ‘I was driving my motorbike when I saw this smoke above the house roof. My first thought was that the actual house was on fire.
‘When I drove a bit closer I realised that the fence between two properties was burning and the old lady was blaming her next door neighbour.
The video shows the fence on fire between a bungalow and a house while the two neighbours (pictured) had a row over who was to blame
The fire happened in between her bungalow in Mountbatten Avenue in Chatham, Kent, on Sunday evening
‘She was shouting, ”It’s all your fault, don’t just stand there and do nothing”.’
Jenniee Jordan, who lives nearby said: ‘It was opposite. Blaine was helping he got the old lady out the house the one who was shouting.’
She added: ‘There was so many people out there just watching it idiots! My partner ran over to get everyone out the houses luckily enough it didn’t get to out of control.’
A woman was outside the bungalow (pictured) can be seen shouting and pointing to the detached property and yells ‘that’s your fault’
A defiant and angry Ms Wheatley has now hit out at her neighbour once more and says the blaze brought back ‘terrible memories’ of when her mum was involved in a house fire 30 years ago.
Ms Wheatley, a retired factory worker, said: ‘I could smell smoke that evening and could tell they were having a fire next door.
‘I closed the windows and thought it had died down a bit. Before I knew it I went to sleep but was suddenly woken to people banging on my door shouting my bungalow is on fire!
‘I went outside and couldn’t believe it. I was very angry. He was just stood there like an idiot.
‘Why would you leave a fire burning? I was shocked. It was terrible.
‘I’ve learned since that they were burning wood in the garden and the fire spread and the fence set alight.
‘They didn’t mean to do it but who sets fire to wood like that? There’s plenty of other ways to get rid of wood – you don’t need to set it on fire like that!
Ms Wheatley, a retired factory worker, said: ‘I could smell smoke that evening and could tell they were having a fire next door’
‘We’re only a few metres apart. I was not happy about it. I was terrified about what was going to happen.
‘I shouted ‘don’t just stand there and watch’ because it needed dealing with. I was nervous and worried.
‘I was not happy. He should have done something. I was very concerned about it.’
Ms Wheatley’s mother escaped a house fire in the same town 30 years ago which has left her terrified of them since.
It destroyed the property and the family had to move to a new home.
Members of the public shout ‘get some water’ and question where the emergency services are. Kent Fire and Rescue Service were called to the incident at 8.20pm on Sunday and the blaze was put out in 20 minutes
Ms Wheatley, who has lived in her house for ten years, said that blaze impacted her life hugely.
The mother-of-three said: ‘I can’t stand fires. They’re horrendous.
‘I know what they can do. My mum nearly died from it. It ruined our house and it impacted her badly.
‘Then this happened and it brought back bad memories.
‘I had to stand my ground and do something. You have to stand and take action.
‘Fortunately the firefighters arrived very quickly and managed to control the situation and it was out.
‘My neighbour came up to me the day after and said ‘I feel so silly Sue’.
‘I take things to the tip for people in the area. I’m known for it. So I could have easily have taken some wood or found another way to get rid of it rather than starting a fire.
Ms Wheatley’s mother escaped a house fire in the same town 30 years ago which has left her terrified of them since
‘They have three cars as well so it could easily have been taken there. Why couldn’t he have got off his backside and gone to the tip?
‘I get on OK with them. This just made me angry.’
Ms Wheatley said she was pleased the incident was dealt with quickly when firefighters arrived.
She added: ‘I’m very pleased with how they dealt with it.
‘I didn’t know there was a video of what happened going around the internet.
‘I just stood my ground and that’s it. What you see is what you get with me.’
The man who lives at the property next door, who did not want to be named, refused to comment on whether the fire had started in his garden.
He said: ‘I’m not interested. I’m really not interested.
‘It was a minor accident. There was no row.’
Kent Fire and Rescue Service were called to the incident at 8.20pm and the blaze was put out in 20 minutes.
A spokeswoman for Kent Fire and Rescue said: ‘Two fire engines attended and crews extinguished the fire.
‘There were no reported injuries and the cause isn’t known.’
