Fire crews put out a terrifying blaze after a motorcycle caught fire at a Washington petrol station and prevented a potentially disastrous explosion.
At 3.26pm on Tuesday, Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service (TWFRS) received a call reporting a fire at the garage on Heworth Road in the Concord area of Washington.
An appliance from Washington Community Fire Station and another from Birtley Community Fire Station were dispatched to the scene with the heroic actions of crews which followed preventing a potential catastrophe.
Read more: Esso petrol station emergency as motorbike bursts into flames on forecourt in Washington
As they arrived, they found a motorcycle well alight, with flames having spread to the petrol pump next to the vehicle. Firefighters were aware that surrounding pumps could go up in flames, and cause a disastrous explosion in a matter of minutes.
They isolated the petrol supply to surrounding pumps, evacuated the petrol station and immediately began to extinguish the fire. The flames were soon extinguished and today, the officer in charge of the response has praised Fire Control staff and the firefighters involved.
Station manager Andy Blower, of TWFRS, said: “This was a fantastic response from all the staff involved, from the Fire Control staff who took the call to the firefighters who responded, to the petrol station staff who isolated the pump.
“A fire at a petrol station is incredibly dangerous. There is an abundance of flammable materials that could lead to disaster so the speed of the response is crucial.
“The fact that we were on scene in less than six minutes is a testament to those involved but that was just one aspect of our response.
“The firefighters deserve a lot of praise for quickly evacuating the premises and isolating the fuel supply to mitigate against the worst case scenario.
“Simultaneously we were tackling the flames and within minutes it was fully extinguished without anyone suffering from any serious injuries.
“I want to praise everyone involved in this response, and the staff at the petrol station, for keeping communities in Concord safe and we hope it reassures our wider communities that we will be here if you ever need us."
TWFRS crews left the scene at 3.56pm. The site was left in the hand of the owners.
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