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Council vows to help fire victims More fire homes may be demolished
(about 4 hours later)
Newport Council says it will work hard to help families whose homes were demolished or damaged after a huge blaze spread from a joinery workshop. Six remaining homes damaged by a fire which spread along a street of houses in Newport are to be inspected to see if they are structurally safe.
Some 100 residents were evacuated following Tuesday's fire in Malborough Road, Maindee, and were only able to return on Wednesday night. Six houses have already been demolished and engineers will decide if the remaining homes need to be demolished.
Six houses have been demolished and six more may have to be knocked down. Some 100 residents were evacuated after a fire began at a joinery workshop in Marlborough Road, Maindee, and spread to a neighbouring row of terraces.
The local authority said it was working closely with those affected and would re-home people where necessary. Newport Council has said it is working hard to help those affected.
A spokesman for the authority said housing officers and social services staff had been speaking to people and assessing their needs on an individual basis. On Wednesday, six of the houses affected were demolished for safety reasons but there are now concerns about the remaining six homes which were damaged.
"Some are staying with friends and family and some need us to re-house them. Where appropriate we will re-house them," he said.
What help was needed depended on people's circumstances, such as what insurance provision they had, he explained.
To see a fire on that scale without one injury or one death is almost a miraculous thing in itself. Councillor Allan Morris, mayor of Newport
"Some will be in hotels, some offered council accommodation, it depends on people's individual circumstances," he said.
The council had helped around 30 people on Tuesday night, he said, and its main role was providing shelter and accommodation.
He added: "We are providing any help we can."
Where someone's house had been knocked down and they had declared themselves homeless, the council was obliged to find them accommodation, he said.
On Wednesday, briefings were held at Newport Leisure Centre where a team of people from the council and emergency services updated residents.
Power has been restored but gas will be cut off until ThursdayPower has been restored but gas will be cut off until Thursday
A spokesman for Newport Council said: "A site meeting will be held later and a decision should be made this afternoon about the houses.
"Structural engineers will decide if they need to be demolished on health and safety grounds," he added.
Housing officers and social services staff have been speaking to people and assessing their needs on an individual basis.
"Some are staying with friends and family and some need us to re-house them. Where appropriate we will re-house them," said the council spokesman.
Gas cut off
On Wednesday, briefings were held at Newport Leisure Centre where a team of people from the council and emergency services updated residents.
Gwent Police said that the area had been made safe and the electricity supply had been restored, but the gas would remain cut off until Thursday.Gwent Police said that the area had been made safe and the electricity supply had been restored, but the gas would remain cut off until Thursday.
Mayor of Newport, councillor Allan Morris said around a dozen homes had been completely destroyed by the blaze. Newport Mayor Councillor Allan Morris said around a dozen homes had been completely destroyed by the blaze.
He said: "Those people obviously will be provided with temporary accommodation in the short term with a view to finding them long term accommodation then.He said: "Those people obviously will be provided with temporary accommodation in the short term with a view to finding them long term accommodation then.
"You're talking complete devastation of an entire block of houses but there is always a silver lining, things could have been much, much worse."You're talking complete devastation of an entire block of houses but there is always a silver lining, things could have been much, much worse.
All the stuff was insured but it's not the point, because the stuff what was belonging to my mother, I'll never get back again Resident James Kingsley
"I was a fire officer myself and to see a fire on that scale without one injury or one death is almost a miraculous thing in itself."I was a fire officer myself and to see a fire on that scale without one injury or one death is almost a miraculous thing in itself.
"Had it have been later in the evening, I think we'd have been looking at a totally different situation here.""Had it have been later in the evening, I think we'd have been looking at a totally different situation here."
In tears He added that residents' concerns about how the fire spread so quickly were understandable but would be addressed by the fire investigation currently under way.
Residents' concerns about how the fire spread so quickly were understandable but would be addressed by the fire investigation currently underway, he added. Jamie Kingsley said he broke down in tears when his home, which had been left to him by his late parents, was among the six to be demolished.
Resident Jamie Kingsley said he broke down in tears when his home, which had been left to him by his late parents, was among the six to be demolished. He said: "The house I don't really particularly care about, it's the stuff in there... all the stuff was insured but it's not the point, because the stuff what was belonging to my mother, I'll never get back again."
He said: "The house I don't really particularly care about, it's the stuff in there...All the stuff was insured but it's not the point, because the stuff what was belonging to my mother, I'll never get back again."