Large St Leonards fire deemed accidental following investigation

Kobi Bryant-Adams was in the garden at home, on The Slides, St Leonards, with his one-year-old sister Kenya on Thursday afternoon (June 3) when he noticed smoke and the sound of cracking coming from inside the shed.

Kobi took Kenya inside and told his dad Paul, who had been working inside the house, about the fire.

Paul, 29, called the fire service as soon as he saw the flames. Firefighters arrived at the scene within five minutes and managed to prevent the fire spreading to neighbouring properties, or the family house, but all items inside the shed – including Kenya’s birthday presents for later this month, Paul’s work tools, and some of the children’s toys – were completely destroyed.

Once the fire had been extinguished, the attending firefighters praised Kobi for his ‘bravery and intuition’, which had helped prevent a disaster.

Kobi’s mum Michelle, 34, was travelling to Liverpool for a weekend away with friends when she received a distressed call from her husband Paul, informing her of the fire.

She said she and Paul ‘could not be prouder’ of Kobi and his quick-thinking.

She added: “Within my husband’s phone call and him trying to put the fire out himself, he called the fire service who arrived within five minutes. We are so lucky that no one was seriously hurt.

“My wonderful neighbours all pitched in to help, including taking my two youngest – Kobi and Kenya – to safety.

“Sadly all of our possessions we kept inside the shed including my children’s bikes and toys, my husband’s work tools and golf clubs, all our garden tools and my youngest (who we adopted last year) daughter’s birthday presents for her birthday at the end of the month were all destroyed we are all completely devastated.

“I would just like to thank the fire service for their quick and rapid response. And for taking the time to speak to our son Kobi and acknowledging his bravery.”

East Sussex Fire said an investigation was carried out and deemed the fire accidental.

A spokesman for the service said: “We were called at 17:20 on Thursday 4th June to attend a shed fire at a residential property on The Slides, St Leonards-on-Sea. Crews from Hastings and The Ridge attended.

“On arrival, firefighters found a garden shed fully alight with the fire affecting a neighbouring fence and decking. Crews used one hose reel jet and one jet hose to extinguish the fire.

“A fire investigation was carried out and the cause was deemed accidental.”