Firefighters were forced to tear down part of a damaged garage roof after a vehicle fire escalated into a major blaze with thick smoke visible from miles away.
Two crews from Newton Abbot Fire Station were called to reports of a vehicle fire on Monday, May 5. While travelling to the scene, firefighters spotted large plumes of smoke rising into the sky.
As multiple 999 calls came in, fire control upgraded the incident to a building fire before crews arrived.
Firefighters discovered a car parked inside a garage was “well alight”, with flames and smoke pouring from the building.
The incident commander sent in two firefighters wearing breathing apparatus to tackle the blaze using hose reel jets.
However, crews soon realised the fire involved ruptured fuel from the vehicle’s tank, creating a fuel fire which could not easily be extinguished with water alone.
Firefighters then deployed a 51mm attack jet using compressed air foam to smother the flames and bring the fire under control.
Once the blaze had been extinguished, crews dismantled parts of the garage roof after it was severely damaged by the fire and considered at risk of collapse.
Firefighters used reciprocating saws and ceiling hooks to safely pull down unstable sections to prevent debris falling uncontrollably and potentially injuring members of the public.
Crews remained at the scene for some time afterwards to cut away damaged materials and ensure no hotspots remained.
A third appliance from Torquay Fire Station was later requested to assist with fire ground decontamination after several firefighters became heavily contaminated by hazardous carbonaceous materials produced by the blaze.
Newton Abbot Fire Station said the decontamination process was an important way of protecting firefighters from the long-term health risks posed by toxic substances encountered at fires.
