Blaze wrecks gardens and vintage vehicles

A fireball left a trail of devastation after arsonists set fire to land next to a row of houses.

Classic cars and gardens were destroyed during the blaze in St James Avenue, Rowley Regis, just before 6.30pm yesterday.

Click on the image on the right to see more picturesw from the scene.

However, the grass fire quickly spread to three properties with flames at least 20ft high destroying gardens, windows and guttering at the homes.

A vintage car collection, believed to include an E-Type Jaguar, MG, a Triumph, Vespa and classic motorbikes was destroyed.

As the blaze hit one of the cars it erupted into a huge fireball, melting window frames and guttering.

Residents were today assessing the damage at the scene, which was littered with remains of the vehicles, including burned- out engines and twisted metal, while melted guttering hung from two of the worst-hit homes.

The worst-affected property on St James Avenue, which was closest to the open land and housed the classic cars, had three back windows boarded up after glass had shattered, while large cracks were visible in a second home. The owner was not at home today.