‘There was a ball of fire that almost had a look of evil within it. I can still hear the sound of it now. I wish the sound would go away, but I anticipate, along with others, that it is with me for life.” On 11 May 1985, 15-year-old Paul Town went to Valley Parade with his father to watch his Bradford City play Lincoln City, and collect the Third Division championship trophy. In the 40th minute, however, the fire broke out.

Fifty-six lives were lost that day. There were 11,020 survivors, each with their own story to tell about the horrors they saw and how they have tried to cope with the trauma since. Paul, who is now 45, is no different apart from, perhaps, the fact that he has turned to painting football stadiums to help ease the anxiety.

When we meet at his West Yorkshire home, Paul, dressed in a commemorative “56” hoodie, is in a pensive mood. The fire broke out while Paul’s father, Barry, had gone to the tea bar to beat the half-time rush, and joy of the prospective trophy soon turned to absolute fear.

“As any normal naive teenager would do, I started to panic as Dad had not returned and the flames were travelling along the timber roof more rapidly than anyone could imagine,” he says. Moments later Paul felt a thump to his back followed by the words “move, Paul – get over those walls and run”. His father had returned and Paul fled – managing to navigate two 6ft-high walls while shaking with fright.

“I ran to the other side of the pitch with all the energy I had left,” he says. “I couldn’t take in what was happening in front of me. People who were so badly injured were laid in the goalmouth being treated and comforted by the ambulance crews, players and fans alike.”

After what felt like hours, Paul eventually left the stadium, again without his father, whom he had been unable to find. There were no mobile phones back then, so he made the two-mile journey home to his terrified mother, Maggie, who had witnessed the events unfold on the news. Following numerous visits and phone calls from concerned friends and neighbours, Barry, thankfully, arrived home later that evening. The Towns were safe, but other families had not been so lucky.

“I’ve tried to package up the memories of this terrible event and place them into the back of my mind,” Paul says. “However, for many years I have personally struggled with the effects of what happened in front of my eyes that day. The scars are not visible, they’re embedded within.”

Paul’s career, and indeed life, began to change in 2013, following an intervention by Maggie, who had become wary of her son’s ongoing anxiety. “My mum – an artist herself – bought me a selection of paints and brushes and encouraged me to paint as a way of relaxation,” says Paul, who had been a builder up until then. “I’ve always enjoyed drawing, but hadn’t painted anything until this point.”

His first painting captured memories of Bradford FC’s former home, Horton Park Avenue. Described by Paul as the most beautiful sporting arena he had ever seen in decay, it proved the catalyst for his work today. “After a few attempts I began to gain more confidence with mixing colours and brush strokes,” he says. “I then started posting a selection of my paintings on social media, from which I received mostly positive feedback.”

In the meantime Bradford City had advanced to the League Cup final, where they would face Swansea City. With this in mind Paul decided to paint Vetch Field – the Swans’ defunct former home. He travelled to London the night before the game, and it was in his hotel where his new venture would truly begin. “Within five minutes of my arrival I’d made my first sale to a Swansea fan – before I had even checked in. With some much welcome beer tokens in my hand, and the total buzz from my first sale, Stadium Portraits was born.”

The 5-0 thrashing Bradford would receive the following afternoon now seems almost irrelevant in Paul’s tale. Since that day demand for his work has soared, with stadium portrait requests coming from as far afield as Canada and Australia. Even former footballers such as Chelsea’s Robert Isaac and Bradford’s own Bobby Ham are among Paul’s clients.

It is the 30th anniversary of the disaster on Monday and recent focus has been on the allegations surrounding the late Stafford Heginbotham, Bradford City’s then chairman, published last month in Martin Fletcher’s book Fifty-Six: The Story of the Bradford Fire. The book disclosed that the fire at Valley Parade was one of at least nine fires at businesses owned by or associated with Heginbotham.

Paul, however, encourages a more positive discussion such as the importance of raising funds for the Bradford burns unit, who treated casualties and survivors of the disaster.

“The current allegations are really upsetting for a lot of people locally,” he says. “While the painting has eased some pain and anxiety personally, I didn’t do it for this reason. I did it to help others and help raise funds for people who are less fortunate.”

Paul Town’s painting commemorating the Bradford City fire. Photograph: Gary Calton for the Observer

One of Paul’s most popular works, entitled “Broken Souls” illustrates 56 football supporters (in memory of those of who lost their lives) heading towards an imaginary football ground. The memorial painting depicts a northern town stricken with grief from his mind’s eye. Paul has recently produced 56 prints of the original painting, and sales of these have raised more than £3,300 for the burns unit.

“Painting mostly lost or much-changed stadiums is now my passion. I’m here to bring back those lost bygone memories in an atmospheric style to the true football supporter. Many supporters would give their right arm to see just one more fixture at their old stomping grounds.

“It has changed my life. In fact I’d go as far as to say it has saved me. Little did I know that those paints my Mum brought home from work would shape my future to what it is today.”

For more information on Paul Town’s work visit stadiumportaits.com and follow him on Twitter @StadiumPortrait