Families were left homeless after a massive fire gutted the top floor of a block of flats in New Barnet on Wednesday.

Army Green Goddesses rushed from their base at Inglis Barracks in Mill Hill to the blaze at Russell Court in Lyonsdown Road which broke out at around 6pm. The first army crews arrived within 15 to 20 minutes to join striking firefighters from Southgate and Barnet who left their picket lines when they feared lives were at risk.

Four army crews ultimately attended the scene within the next hour. Around 30 residents from Russell Court were evacuated to the nearby Lyonsdown Hall and four had to be found accommodation for the night by Barnet Council.

Joanne Johnson, who lives in York Road, next door to Russell Court, raised the alarm. "I could see through my front window that a corner of the roof was really badly alight with 20ft flames going up in the air. I could hear things crashing and exploding and I could see it was a really serious fire," she said.

"I ran downstairs screaming for my parents and my 16-year-old son Robert to get out. By the time we got to the end of our drive the top of the roof was on fire and I could see things like coloured fireworks going off in the roof.

"A woman we met in the hall has been living in the flats all her married life and she has lost everything she is really in shock. There are a lot of people homeless tonight."

Incident commander Captain David Brooks of the Household Cavalry was based at Inglis Barracks in Bray Road, Mill Hill, as cover during Tuesday and Wednesday's fire strike. He said the first army crew arrived within 15 minutes.

"The fire brigade had checked the top floor and ensured that it was clear. Then army rescue teams went in to fight the fire and check the ground floor and first floor," he said.

"Army fire teams then fought the fire from an elevated position from a neighbouring block of flats and from one end of the building to the other the fire was extinguished by a total of four army fire appliances supported by two navy rescue teams.

"They acted utterly professionally. A very short handover was conducted between the fire brigade and our fire engines. The army fire engines were then able to fight the fire extremely professionally and performed brilliantly."

Mark Brown, station commander at Hendon fire station, said a number of flats were destroyed. "Our crew went in with breathing apparatus and started searching the place. The first army crew arrived after 20 minutes. The army breathing apparatus crew after 40 minutes. And a second breathing apparatus crew 20 minutes after that."

He said normally up to six fire engines would have attended. "After we established there was nobody involved in the fire, we handed over to the army and left the scene.

"As we said all along, we are not here to harm the public. If we believe there is a life involved quite clearly we are going to do our job and that will be whether we are on or off duty.

We understand it's not the public's fault we have got this dispute. In some ways I'm quite pleased the crews did attend."

January 30, 2003 13:00