AN elderly man has apologised after his garden fire got out of control, destroying neighbours’ sheds and fencing, and damaging a tree and summerhouse.

Retired electrical engineer Stanley Lee was burning pine needles in an incinerator behind his home in Baring Road, Southbourne, on Wednesday evening. He checked the fire twice and thought it was “smoking nicely”.

The 88-year-old said: “A little while later, my wife said, ‘There’s something on fire out there’. I’m sorry it happened.”

Next-door-neighbour Cathy Elson said: “My son saw it and told me. I went in to see Peggy and Stanley. They were in shock.

“It was so immediate and quite frightening. The fire brigade were here a good two hours. It must have been a spark. That’s all it takes. Everything is so tinder-dry.”

Mrs Elson said at one stage, the flames were 25ft high and scorched a mature pine in their garden.

Dominic Fabrizi, whose house in Broadway backs on to Mr and Mrs Lee’s, moved a petrol lawnmower out of his outbuildings.

“I was looking out of my window. I thought, ‘He’s set fire to his shed’. Within five minutes, it was ridiculous. By the time I had filled a bucket of water to throw on the fire, I couldn’t get near it,” he told the Echo.

Two of Mr Lee’s sheds, and one each belonging to Mr Fabrizi and his neighbour were completely destroyed, along with their contents.

Mr Fabrizi’s summerhouse and a trampoline were also damaged and sections of fencing separating the four houses destroyed or damaged.

Two Christchurch crews arrived shortly before 6.30pm.

A hazardous materials officer removed an LPG cylinder from the scene and Red Cross volunteers attended.

Fire officers went back to give advice and offer Home Fire Safety checks.