The most dramatic fires in EastEnders history

EastEnders will ensure that autumn on Albert Square goes with a bang, thanks to a fire that will endanger the lives of several residents, among them Walford returnee Janine Butcher.

Janine was seen on screen for the first time since 2014 in a doof-doof broadcast on BBC One last night. But it won’t be long before she’ll be feeling the heat, thanks to a blaze that breaks out in next week’s high-profile episodes.

Read more: Charlie Brooks shares secrets of EastEnders fire

This isn’t the first time that EastEnders has been set alight: Here, we count down the best blazes in the BBC soap’s history:

Dirty Den torches the Dagmar (1988)

When predatory James Willmott-Brown raped Kathy Beale, we saw Den Watts take explosive revenge on the wine-bar owner.

After calling his underworld contacts from The Firm and asking for their assistance, Den watched on gleefully as Willmott-Brown’s bar the Dagmar was firebombed. The trouble for Den, of course, was that he was then expected to take the rap for the crime of arson.

The car lot insurance scam (1994)

Frank Butcher tasked Phil Mitchell with torching Frank’s Autos in the hope of then being able to claim on the insurance.

Read more: Next week on EastEnders

However, a homeless lad by the name of Alan Hall (played by future Hollyoaks star Nick Pickard) ended up getting badly burned in the blaze before dying in hospital. Cue Frank and Phil both being overcome with guilt.

Trevor Morgan’s last stand (2002)

Trevor Morgan’s two-year torment of wife Little Mo came to a dramatic end when he started a fire in the Slaters’ family home and ended up perishing.

But long-time viewers will no doubt recall that wild-eyed Trevor wasn’t the only casualty. After rescuing Little Mo and Sean Slater, neighbour and firefighter Tom Banks went back into the property to get Trevor. But an explosion then ended up taking out both guys.

Queen Vic Fire Week (2010)

The destruction of the Albert Square’s premier boozer remains the soap’s best-remembered inferno as it resulted in Barbara Windsor’s original departure as Peggy “let it burn!” Mitchell.

In what was a high-rated week of EastEnders episodes, a crack-addicted Phil was seen dropping a match onto an alcohol-saturated floor, which sparked a fire that then resulted in a destructive blast. In tense scenes, Stacy and daughter Lily — who were trapped upstairs — then had to be rescued by Ryan, who climbed a ladder to reach them.

The B&B blaze (2011)

The reign of another notorious Walford abuser climaxed in a conflagration when evil Yusef Khan got a barnstorming Boxing Day exit.

Twisted fire-starter Yusef aimed to leave Masood for dead in the B&B that he’d set alight. But in the end, it was Yusef who met his maker when he was tricked by Zainab into re-entering the building, only for the floor to collapse beneath him.

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