Residents of a Hinckley street were shocked as they watched a fire take hold of two ice cream vans and a house in a suspected arson attack.
An initial explosion alerted people to the blaze in Lismore Drive in the early hours of this morning, with flames from the vans spreading to a nearby house and garage.
One resident who lives opposite the property said it was a scary moment when they realised what was going on.
“We first heard the bang and we looked out the front window and saw the fire", she said.
"We were really worried about them. It was only when we went over that we saw that they had got out and they were ok.”
Jonathan Lakin, who lives a few doors up from the house, said: “My lad told me about it. We saw the soot coming over.
"I’m glad everyone was alright. It’s quite shocking really.”
The two vans were parked in a driveway close to the house.
Firefighters were called to tackle the blaze just after midnight.
Police who also attended the incident have launched an investigation into the fire.
Officers said the garage, part of the roof and and upstairs room were damaged as a result of the blaze.
Jane Smith, another resident of Lismore Drive, said: “I realised when I saw ash coming down in the garden. I went down there and the whole of the bush and the front of the house was on fire.
“It looked really bad.”
Another town resident who lives a short walk away from the street, said he was just going to sleep when he heard the explosion.
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“It sounded like a gunshot but it wasn’t that loud, so I didn’t think anything of it", he said.
“I was really surprised to hear what had happened, it’s not something you would expect for the area. It’s usually very quiet.
“I often see the ice cream van driving along Hollycroft.”
In a statement on Facebook, Hinckley Police said: "We're investigating after two vans were set on fire in Lismore Drive, Hinckley - and are asking for any witnesses to make contact.
"We'd like to speak to anyone who has information about this incident. Do you have CCTV cameras installed at your property? Were you passing through Lismore Drive either side of midnight? Do you have a dashcam installed in your vehicle?
"We'd also like to speak to people who saw anyone acting in a manner that appeared suspicious or unusual in either Lismore Drive or the surrounding area."
The fire service used two sets of breathing apparatus and two hose reels and a thermal imaging camera while tackling the fire.
An appliance from Hinckley station and another from Market Bosworth station responded to the incident.
If you have any information then police ask that you call 101.
