A MOTHER has told The Comet of the “scary” moment a fire took hold in a flat blaze that has left a man dead.

The emergency services were called to a block of flats in Bittern Way, Letchworth GC, just after midnight today (Tuesday) and one man, who has not yet been named, was pronounced dead at the scene.

“All we heard was a big boom,” said resident Amy Walsh, who was the first person to call 999.

“We thought it was two cars smashing together so I looked out the window and saw smoke and flames coming out of a window below.

“I got the kids and went round banging on the doors of all my neighbours.”

A total of 70 residents were evacuated from the flats with some staying the night at the nearby Grange Community Centre.

Ms Walsh, who was with her 14-month-old baby in her flat on the third floor at the time of the fire, added: “From the time I saw the fire to getting to the bottom of the flights of stairs it had gone into the bottom floor and the flat above it and bits of the bush outside were on fire. In five minutes it spread so quickly.

“We didn’t expect it at all and anything could’ve happened. It was so scary.”

The fire was out by 1.45am. Investigations into the cause of the blaze are still ongoing.