2:58pm Monday 25th October 2004
By Sue Archer
RESIDENTS and businesses were evacuated in South Woodford yesterday after fire ripped through a car dealer workshop at lunchtime.
Billowing black smoke filled the sky around George Lane after the blaze broke out in Stevens Motors VW breakers garage in Pulteney Road at around 1pm, tearing through tyres and car parts and causing cylinders to explode.
South Woodford Tube station was also closed down and nearby homes and businesses had their power cut as firefighters tackled the blaze. Fire chiefs warned that the station may not be reopened for 24 hours, due to the presence of explosive cylinders.
Around 40 firefighters tackled the fire using eight fire engines but they could not enter the premises due to the presence of the gas canisters inside which were randomly exploding.
Roads surrounding the southern end of George Lane were cordoned off to traffic and workers and residents were told to evacuate the area by fire chiefs as the fire took hold.
The blaze was raging for well over two hours as firefighters from stations including Woodford, Ilford, Leytonstone and as far afield as Tottenham, Homerton and Poplar doused the flames.
One eyewitness, engineer Robert Shinkins, 56, was carrying out electrical testing in the Railway Bell in George Lane when the alarm was raised. He said: "I could smell a distinct burning smell so I looked out of the window and could see thick black smoke billowing into the sky. I warned the pub manager the fire could get out of hand and he gathered people together.
"Then a fireman came in at around 1.15pm and said everybody must get out. I understand a car caught fire in the garage and the fire got out of hand. The whole garage went up. You could hear the gas cylinders cracking off."
"When you consider there are tyres, petrol and gas cylinders, no wonder it took hold so quickly. I just hope nobody was injured."
George Lane businesswoman Gillian Belej, the owner of Asset Property Services which backs on to the blazing garage, returned to the office and was shocked to see flames and smoke coming from the rear of her premises.
She said at the scene: "I saw clouds of dark grey smoke and fire engines everywhere. All of the power was switched off and so was the phone line.
"People live above our shop so if they are out at work they have no knowledge what is going on.."
A London Fire Brigade spokesman said yesterday: "Whenever we have gas cylinders involved, especially acetelyne cylinders, we have to deal with the fire from a safe distance. Nobody was injured in the fire."
He said the police cordons would be in place until firefighters ascertained whether the cylinders contained Calor gas or acetylene. Calor gas or oxygen containers can be removed quickly but acetylene cylinders need 24 hours to cool down before removal.
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