Pictured: The moment fire engulfed arson millionaire's family mansion

Firefighters can be seen battling the inferno which ripped through the home reducing it to a shell.

The shocking pictures, which illustrate the intensity of the blaze, were taken by firefighters from Shropshire Fire and Rescue service.

As they fought the flames at Osbaston House, crews were unaware that the murdered bodies of Foster, his wife Jill and 15-year-old daughter Kirstie had been engulfed.

Murder scene: Dramatic first pictures of firefighters tackling the blaze at Osbaston House. They were forced to keep their distance as the fire raged

The pictures of the fire were released a day after the first pictures from inside the ruined mansion were revealed. 

Until then, the only pictures had been taken from a helicopter circling the scene.

The images revealed the utter devastation at the shattered remains of Osbaston House.

Reporters and camera crews escorted to the mansion by police were greeted by the sight of piles of blackened bricks and timber in skips at the front of the once-grand home.

Smouldering: An outbuilding was reduced to ashes and twisted metal by the fire

Estimated to be worth around £1.2 million before it was destroyed by fire, the sprawling property now exhibits few signs that it was a family home just a week ago.

The burnt-out shell of a Range Rover and a tractor were still parked near the house.

The pictures also show the painstaking care being used by forensics officers as the comb the grounds for evidence to solve the mystery of what happened at Christopher Foster's house.

The windows, which gave the Foster family uninterrupted views of the surrounding fields, now allow those standing on the driveway to see birds resting on the chimney stack at the opposite end of the house and the open skies beyond.

Jets of water were aimed through the blown-out or melted windows of the house in a futile attempt to douse the flames

Embers: Hours were spent damping down the blaze to ensure the fire would not re-ignite

Some of the home's wooden window frames had been obliterated by the blaze, while others, like the two satellite dishes, survived unmarked.

Numerous signs of the police inquiry were also in evidence all around the ruined home, which has seen its paddocks used as a dumping ground for some of the debris removed from the house.

Black plastic dustbins were stacked up near ornamental lampposts at the front of the house, apparently ready for use to collect remains which may help officers to piece together what happened.

Polythene coverings had also been placed over the letterbox and security system key-pad at the gates of the house in an apparent attempt to preserve evidence.

With no windows and a soot-stained wall, a shell is all that remains of the house

The shoulder-to-shoulder search continues in a gravel courtyard

Three bodies have now been removed from the Shropshire house - that of Mr Foster's wife Jillian, 49, plus two more thought to be those of daughter Kirstie, 15, and Mr Foster himself.

Around half a dozen bunches of flowers have been left at the entrance to Osbaston House, including one paying tribute to 'Kirk', Jill and Chris.

A message attached to the bouquet read: 'I can't believe you are all gone. You were all such a great family and I'm going to miss you all.'

Another note, left by a neighbouring family, read: 'Tragic. So Sad. Heartfelt sympathy to your family. God Bless.'

A burnt-out gas cylinder stands in the wreckage

The postbox at Osbaston House is sealed up, while bunches of flowers stand nearby

Final picture: This photo of Kirstie (l), Christopher and Jill Foster was taken hours before the fire engulfed Osbaston House