Garage fire drama

DOZENS of Eastfield residents had to be evacuated and a firefighter taken to hospital after a blaze ripped through a building stocked with flammable gas cylinders, oil and bitumen.

Eyewitnesses described hearing explosions as emergency crews worked to remove the cylinders and other hazardous materials from the blazing garage on Milton Road East at the weekend.

It is feared there may be asbestos in the building and health officials have launched an investigation to ascertain if there is a danger to the public.

The fire, which started at around 4.30pm yesterday, raged for more than ten hours, destroying two businesses and forcing residents to be evacuated from their homes.

A large section of Milton Road East was closed off as the fire burned and was this morning still closed to eastbound traffic.

The blaze started at the Lucky Sun takeaway next door, but soon ravaged the service area of MOT and repair garage Scott Vehicle Services, gutting both buildings.

Firefighters battled with poor water pressure to quench the flames and fought to stop the fire from spreading to a row of houses on Seaview Terrace, joined on to the damaged properties. Around eight homes there were evacuated and other householders told to shut their windows and doors to keep out the toxic fumes.

Eyewitnesses described hearing explosions as a gas leak in the takeaway building flared up and thick black smoke billowed from burning tyres stored in the garage.

One firefighter was taken to the ERI suffering from smoke inhalation and a second man, believed to be a worker at the takeaway, was treated at the hospital for burns.

Divisional Officer Ross Wynn, fire commander in charge of the incident, said: "All the buildings of the takeaway and most of the garage have completely gone. A fire investigation officer is looking into the cause of the fire, along with the police. There were a lot of hazards in the building, especially in the garage, where there are things like bitumen and oil as well as gas canisters. We had to change tactics because of the way the fire was going - to stop it from spreading to residential properties.

"It was a very difficult fire to fight because of the structure of the building. We have only had one casualty - a firefighter with smoke inhalation - but he’s going to be fine."

Brian Scott, who has owned the garage for 35 years, said at the scene he feared his whole business would be destroyed.

He said: "The main part of the garage I’m hoping against hope will be saved. I’ve just transferred all of my business details over to computer and I hope that can be salvaged."

Alison Ferguson, 52, of Seaview Terrace, had left her car in the garage for an MOT and said she was certain it had been destroyed in the blaze. She said: "I don’t suppose it will need an MOT now. But it’s just a car. The most important thing is nobody was badly hurt."

The owner of the takeaway building, identified only as Anna, said her tenants, who ran the Lucky Sun, alerted her shortly after the fire began.

She said: "It is very bad news indeed. I don’t know what I’m going to do."

Fiona White, 38, who lives a few doors along from the takeaway on Milton Road East, said there had been two loud bangs as the fire took hold.

She said: "My neighbour heard explosions at about 4.30. We came out to see what had happened and the takeaway and garage were burning. There were huge flames shooting up from the roof."