WORRIED residents say that a fire which destroyed a Worcester property could have spread to their homes – and they fear vandals are targeting the area.

One elderly resident said she was left “petrified” after a garden shed and fence caught fire at a home left empty for nearly a year in Oldbury Road, Dines Green.

Ten-foot high flames reduced the fence and shed to ashes at the back of the empty home, which neighbours say has been unoccupied for at least 10 months.

An 82-year-old woman, who did not want to be named, said the flames and smoke left her petrified and she was afraid her garden and garage could have been burnt down.

She said that vandals were targeting the area and that an overgrown lane, which prevents residents from driving to their garages, could cause any future fires to spread.

The woman, who lives alone, said: “I could just see all of this black smoke coming from the garden.

“The flames were way over the fence. A neighbour called the fire brigade.

“I’m just so worried it could have happened to me. My garden is at the back and it could have easily spread over to here and then I don’t know what I would have done. I would have been in a lot of trouble."

She added: “I used to be able to get my car down [the lane] and look at it now, you can hardly walk down with all this. I don’t know why they’ve let it get such a mess.”

The lane off Oldbury Road, which runs between some of the gardens in Howard Road and a playing field, has left residents unable to access their garages by car for years.

The house where the fire happened was recently targeted by vandals who smashed the windows. The front and back downstairs windows have since been boarded up.

Chris Kirk, who has lived in Oldbury Road for two years, became aware of the fire when he saw black smoke rising from the garden whilst walking his dog in a nearby field last Tuesday (June 12).

He said: “The shed was completely ablaze. We’re really lucky it didn’t spread much further. I think it has done some damage to a few fences on the joining gardens but luckily it didn’t reach my garden.

“I thought it looked like somebody was burning a tyre and some kids who were playing football said how stupid that was and then I had another look and thought it’s much more serious than that.”

Nevertheless, Mr Kirk was concerned his garden could have been engulfed by flames.

“I’ve been away most of the weekend and it could have easily spread to my garden.

"That house and garden have just been left to run to ruin. The grass is so tall in the garden now it would have been up in seconds.

“I haven’t seen anybody live there for ages. A family used to live there and after they moved out about a year ago, somebody came in and bought it but it has been empty since.”

Police told the Worcester News they were not treating the fire as suspicious.