Homes evacuated after repair shop blaze sparks explosion fears
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by Joe Walker
joewalker@thekmgroup.co.uk
Families were evacuated from their
homes on Friday night after a car repair shop went up in
flames.
A 200-metre cordon was set up around two
burning outbuildings in Chilham after the blaze sparked fears of an
explosion.
Nearby roads and the railway line running
through the village were also shut down as more than 40
firefighters and six engines tackled the flames for nine
hours.
Crews were called to the scene in Pickleden
Lane – behind Crossroads Motors – at 6.40pm.
It quickly emerged there was a cylinder in one
of the buildings containing acetylene – a potentially explosive gas
used for welding.
Nearby homes were evacuated and the A28
Ashford Road was shut by police.
Les Clinton and wife Chris, who live in a
bungalow 40 yards from the blaze, were among those evacuated.
But the couple were allowed to return for
their three dogs and Les’ cancer and diabetes medication.
Grandfather-of-six Les, 62, said: “I’d
nodded off when I heard the dogs barking in the kitchen. I thought
they wanted to go out in the garden but then I saw this massive red
fire out of the kitchen window.
“I could actually feel the heat coming through the window. It
was unbelievable.”
Les called 999 and went
to collect Chris from the train station, but was stopped
from returning to his house on the way back.
He said: “They wouldn’t let us past the
Ashford turn-off. I said we had the three dogs in the house and we
couldn’t just leave them, so they let Chris go back in and get
them.
“We bundled them in the car and drove to my
son’s house in Challock. He then went back at 10pm to get my
medication.
“It wasn’t until about 2.45am that the police called to say it
was all right to go back. I’m just glad no one was hurt.”
David Cole-Biroth, who works at Crossroads
Motors, raced back to the site after he was alerted to
the blaze at 7pm.
He said: “I knew we had cars running along a
back fence just yards from the fire so thought I’d be able to move
them away.
“But I only got as far as the Ashford turn-off
and the firemen wouldn’t let me anywhere near the place.
“I hung around for 20 minutes but knew there
was nothing else I could do. I came in this morning expecting to
see a line of mangled cars along the fence, but they were fine.
“We were very, very lucky.”
The owner of the repair shop – which rented
the buildings – was visibly distraught at the scene this
morning.
He said: “That’s everything gone. Only the
cars are insured.”
Fire investigators are trying to establish the cause of the
blaze.
Saturday, January 28 2012
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