A dad has opened up about how his children now struggle to sleep after a fire engulfed his garden and was inches away from destroying his home.
Matt Eitel-Smith, who lives on Dovedale Avenue in Maghull, said that at the end of February a large tree at the end of his garden, that backs onto the Liverpool-Leeds Canal, fell and blocked the path as well as the canal. As a result, the Canal and Rivers Trust was forced to come out and get rid of the tree, apparently telling Matt workers would be there for two days.
The first day was to destroy the tree and the second day would be to clear the debris. But Matt, a deputy headteacher of a primary school, told the ECHO the workers never returned to clear the branches and left it. As a result, five months after the tree was cut up, the debris fuelled the fire that broke out in the early hours of July 18 and led to five of his fence panels being completely burnt, damaging his garden, other fence panels and flames damaging the corner of his home before Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service arrived at the scene.
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Since the fire, Matt has said his three children, Alex, 11, Lucy, nine, and Jack, six, struggle to sleep. Matt said: "The fire terrified them and if they hear sirens or anything like that they're scared. The youngest is six and he said last night he couldn't sleep because he was still scared from the fire. I want the Canal Trust to reassess the way they look at dealing with debris."
The 41-year-old claims the cost to get the damage repaired and the rest of the debris left in his garden will cost around £2,500, with him being told to fill in a form to hand over to the Canal and Rivers Trust in hope of being reimbursed. The Trust has confirmed it is investigating the build-up to the fire, although it reiterates the cause was a discarded cigarette bud.
A Canal and Rivers Trust spokesperson said: "We are very sorry that Mr Eitel-Smith suffered a fire by his garden, which has unfortunately caused some damage to his property. It appears that it was started by a discarded cigarette thrown down on the ground after a dry spell of weather.
"We will clear away the damaged trees as a goodwill gesture. We are currently carrying out further investigations and are working with him to come up with an acceptable resolution.”
A spokesperson for MFRS said: "Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service was called to Dovedale Avenue, Maghull, on Monday 18 July. Crews were alerted at 3.38am and on scene shortly after. One fire engine attended.
"On arrival crews found a large amount of conifers well alight at the rear of a property. The fire had spread to fence panels and damage was also caused to the eaves of the property as a result of radiated heat.
"Firefighters used two hose reel jets to extinguish the fire. Fire crews left the scene at 5.06am."
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