A Worksop mum has expressed her devastation after a backyard fire destroyed thousands of pounds worth of belongings and nearly engulfed her family home, leaving her children “terrified of the trees”.

The fire broke out on Monday evening, March 10, when Katie Adams, a mother of four, received a call from her neighbour about flames at the bottom of her garden at 8.15pm.

Firefighters from Worksop Fire Station responded to the incident.

A spokesperson reported that the fire began in a park after rubbish was set alight, which initially ignited a fence on a property located on Furnival Street.

Katie shared a photo of her garden fire engulfing the children's trampoline and destroying thousands of pounds worth of belongings.

placeholder image — Katie shared a photo of her garden fire engulfing the children's trampoline and destroying thousands of pounds worth of belongings.

The fire then spread down the fence line affecting further properties on Pelham Street.

As a result of the fire, three fence panels were removed by Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service to access the gardens of the properties affected.

Katie said she believes the fire started near Manton Children's Centre, an area that has already experienced a devastating fire in 2023 due to an arson attack that destroyed Rainbow Park, resulting in £50,000 worth of damage.

Speaking on the garden blaze, Katie explained: “I had to get my four children out of bed as the huge conifers were on fire. It was awful.”

Katie mentioned that her children are now afraid of the trees after the garden blaze started in the field behind her property. The conifers that caught fire are shown in the picture.

Katie described how the entire situation has emotionally affected her and her children.

She added: “The trees need to be removed, everything in the garden needs to be cleared, and our fences are burned.

“The garden isn’t safe anymore. The damage is unbelievable!”

Katie shared that her four-year-old daughter is now “terrified of the trees” following the fire and refuses to sleep in her own room since the incident.

Images from the aftermath show a see-saw (pictured) that was just a meter away from her house, highlighting the intensity of the fire. Katie recounted how a firefighter mentioned that if the wind had been blowing in the opposite direction, her house could have been engulfed in flames.

Worried about her children's well-being and devastated by the loss of belongings, Katie believes that there should be consequences for whoever started the fire, due to the damage and distress it has caused.

In the hours after the incident, several fundraising links were set up to help Katie cover the costs of items lost in the fire, such as toys, bikes, and furniture – essentially thousands of pounds worth of personal belongings.

A GoFundMe page was set up by family friend Elliott Lacy at www.gofundme.com/f/donate-to-help-please-worksop, along with another page created by Charlotte Button at www.gofundme.com/f/nfsey-friends-in-need.

Charlotte said: “Please help Katie and her lovely children by donating what you can.”