Fire breaks out at Wirral car repair centre
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BILLOWING black smoke enveloped parts of Wirral’s business district after a blaze broke out at a car repair centre.
Four fire engines were called to the Merseyside Car Hospital on Cleveland Street in Birkenhead at 1pm yesterday.
Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service (MFRS) said they had received calls from “numerous members of the public” describing plumes of smoke and flames pouring from the building’s chimneys and drifting over Hamilton Square.
Wirral station manager Ben Ryder said although no-one was injured the blaze, it could have become a “major incident” but for the quick thinking of staff and fire crews first on the scene.
Fire-fighters wearing breathing apparatus went into the car workshop through a side entrance on Russell Street.
Employees standing outside said they thought the fire had started in a car “oven” used to dry cars after they have been paint-sprayed.
A MFRS spokeswoman said that the blaze had been largely confined to a spray booth.
She added that the building had been well alight when crews arrived.
Mr Ryder said: “There were lots of paints, solvents and acetylene and LPG cylinders around and there was an asbestos roof.
“But, fortunately, due to the crews’ quick efforts and quick thinking by staff, none of these became involved in the incident.” Firefighters quickly dealt with the fire but smoke continued to billow out from the side of the building for nearly an hour.
Mr Ryder said the first crews had arrived within minutes of the alarm being raised and they radioed for two more engines to join them.
He said: “This could have been much worse when you consider the amount of risk at that premises.
“It was a large site with numerous cars which could have caused problems had they caught fire.
“But the staff followed procedures stringently and a roll-call was made and everyone was accounted for early on.
“The threat of explosion posed by the acetylene cylinder was a major concern. The fire could have been much worse and caused major disruption for other businesses in the area
THE DALIY POST