ARSONISTS started a blaze that raged out of control through an estate last week, endangering families and causing thousands of pounds worth of damage.

On Wednesday, August 24, at about 3pm, Darren Chaplin was at home in Kings Terrace, Ongar, with his two young daughters when he smelt burning.

Mr Chaplin, who is 40, ran outside to see flames engulfing the wooden shed in the courtyard just behind his house where the dustbins are kept.

The fire quickly ripped through the bins then neighbouring sheds and fences caught light, with the flames quickly rising to block Mr Chaplin’s path back home where his two young daughters waited.

It was 40 minutes before two fire engines arrived, only for officers to discover that they did not have any water left in their engines and that the nearest fire hydrant and been paved over.

Mr Chaplin managed to find a route back to his house as fire fighters battled to stop the blaze engulfing it to discover a neighbour had led his two daughters to safety.

Mr Chaplin said that the estate had been plagued by crime in the last four months, and he had recently chased a gang of youth away who were trying to set fire to the bins.

Despite this London and Quadrant Housing, the housing association that owns the flats, failed to report the incident to the police, leaving residents to inform officers themselves and facing the possibility of paying for damage out of their own household insurance.

Mr Chaplin said: “The destruction is unbelievable, we have all lost our windows which shattered from the heat. Both me and my neighbours lost all the contents of our sheds and bikes were destroyed.

“One fire officer said that if they had got there only ten minutes later we could have lost our house. It is very lucky that no one was hurt. I cannot help thinking about what could have happened.

“We all feel let down by the fire brigade, and I can’t believe the housing association failed to report the incident."