Nine Vehicles Destroyed by Fire
Hereford & Worcester Fire and Rescue Service (HWFRS) was called at 3.45am to the premises in Saxon Business Park after a large smoke cloud was seen in the Hanbury Road area. Two pumps from Bromsgrove and one from Redditch attended to find a serious fire involving ten vehicles.
Once crews had gained access to the secure compound using extension ladders, they used foam from one of the Bromsgrove fire engines and the Compressed Air Foam System (CAFS) from Redditch to tackle the fire, as well as a thermal imaging camera.
Watch Commander Nigel Smart from H&WFRS said: "Firefighters worked really well to bring this fire under control and while there was substantial damage inside the compound, with nine of the ten vehicles involved completely destroyed, we were able to minimise damage to nearby property."
He confirmed that there was minor damage to the metal cladding of the neighbouring building, but only a small amount of smoke inside it.
Station Commander Ian Jallands, also from H&WFRS, added: "Given the time of the incident, it was fortunate that the smoke from this fire was noticed so early, and it meant that we were able to limit the extent of the damage, particularly to nearby premises."
He reminded how important it is for businesses to be prepared in case of fire, and he urged everyone to give proper consideration to their business continuity plans, ensuring they have useful numbers and key information stored separately as a precautionary measure to minimise the impact should they have a fire themselves.
The fire is believed to have been started deliberately and police are investigating.
