Man has "lucky escape" after large fire breaks out in a garage

Thursday 14 September 2017

A man has escaped unharmed after a big fire broke out in a garage at la Pouquelaye during vehicle repairs.

Witnesses living in the area said they heard an explosion, and thought a plane taking part in the International Air Display had gone down.

Peter Roux, who lives 30 metres from the site of the fire, was enjoying a quiet afternoon off at home when he heard a loud bang. After looking out of the window, he saw a big cloud of black smoke and called the fire brigade. He told Express: "It sounded like a gas bottle exploding. It was quite loud, we heard it through the double glazing."

The fire caused a large cloud of smoke that was seen across St Aubin's Bay. 

Pictured: Peter Roux heard a loud explosion from his lounge before he saw the black cloud of smoke.

Tiesha Leese, a resident at Signal One, next door to the garage, said she was shaken by the incident. She first realised that something was wrong after seeing black smoke from her balcony. 

She said: "When I first left the building, the residents of my building were in tears, we all know each other and neighbouring houses. We saw the black smoke and then heard explosions. We all thought a plane had crashed. It was very loud. The heat was intense and the flames quite big. People were still trying to get their cars in incredible heat." 

Ms Leese said that the smoke was so thick and the smell so bad that she now has a sore throat from coughing. 

Two fire engines arrived shortly after 15:00. They described the fire, which occurred in a large garage involving two vehicles, as "fully developed." It was quickly put under control but due to the severe temperatures, several structural beams were badly damaged leaving the building in an unsafe condition. An adjacent access road is due to remain closed until the building has been made safe.

Cover photo: Jersey Fire and Rescue.