Major fire in Northampton neighbourhood destroys family's hand-built private pub worth £20,000
AÂ man's private garden bar went up in flames last night after a fire broke out in a Northampton neighbourhood.
Four fire engines were called to the incident in Gloucester Crescent, off Towcester Road, Far Cotton, at around 9.20pm yesterday (July 19) after reports of a "mushroom cloud" explosion.
No one was hurt and the blaze was contained - but not before it destroyed a family's personal backyard pub worth £20,000.
Pete Maloney, 51, who built the pub with his brother, said: "There used to be a bar and a jacuzzi, and we built the decking ourselves. Now it's all gone. It's turned our whole life upside-down."
Pete's 17-year-old son was the only one in the house when the fire started.
Pete said: "He called us and said 'Dad's pub is on fire'. I thought he was joking. Then I heard the panic in his voice.
"We drove home straight away. Coming back, we could see the fire from the dual carriageway. The flames were as high as the house."
Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue said the fire involved a barbeque, a shed and a hedgerow.
Next-door neighbour Katheryn Weaver said: "It was terrifying. I was watching TV when I heard a big bang and saw a mushroom of smoke over the fence.
"For a while, I thought the fire would spread and the whole street would go. It was sheer panic."
An investigation into the cause of the fire is underway.