Firefighters raced to Bushey to tackle a blaze which saw flames stretch almost twice as high as nearby houses.

Six fire engines were sent to the fire in Prowse Avenue at around 10.45pm yesterday (August 5) as Hertfordshire Police closed the street for 200 metres around the incident.

A spokesperson for Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service confirmed no casualties were reported in the blaze on the ground and first floors of the "derelict domestic property".

Firefighters remained at the scene until 6am to continue damping down the remains of the fire, and an investigation is taking place this morning to determine the cause.

Eyewitness Grace Simmons said the flames were almost twice as high as the homes.Eyewitness Grace Simmons said the flames were almost twice as high as the homes. (Image: Grace Simmons)

Bushey resident Grace Simmons could smell smoke from her house a short walk away and noticed an “orange hue” in the sky as she walked closer.

The 28-year-old said: “We followed the hue and that’s when we found the house on fire.

“I’ve never seen a fire that big before,” she added: “The flames were almost double the size of the houses and they’re mansions in that street.

“It got even worse and the firefighters sent us home and told us to close our windows because the smoke was very intense.”

Bushey residents watched on as multiple fire engines tackled the blaze.Bushey residents watched on as multiple fire engines tackled the blaze. (Image: Grace Simmons) Photos from the scene show residents watching on as flames stretched out above the houses.

Assistant chief fire officer Mark Barber said: "Firefighters were faced with a fully developed fire on the first floor of the house, and had to work hard for several hours to bring it under control and extinguish it.

"Our fire investigation team are working with the police to establish the cause of the fire, but fortunately the building was empty and nobody was hurt.”