Man suffers facial burns after garage fire

Buy photos » Picture courtesy of Graham Eglen at www.fire-engine-photos.com

A MAN has been taken to hospital with burns to his face after a fire broke out in his garage while he was working on a classic car.

Two crews from Redditch and another two from Bromsgrove were called to his house in Grafton Close, Woodrow just before 12.20pm on Friday (January 18) after the blaze broke out in a detached garage. The flames also spread to two houses either side of it.

Six firefighters using breathing apparatus, two hose reels and one main jet running of the mains water supply brought the fire under control by 1.20pm.

The garage and its contents including a classic car the man was working on at the time was completely destroyed in the blaze. There was also a small amount of fire damage to both houses.

He was treated at the scene before being taken to hospital by ambulance with burns to his face.

The cause of the fire is still being established but is believed to be accidental. Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service has issued a warning to anyone planning repairs to a vehicle at home or in their garage to be alert to the dangers of working with cylinders, fuel and other flammable liquids.

Watch commander Bob Morris, from Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service, said the snowy weather had made the incident more of a challenge.

"The road conditions were treacherous as crews headed to this incident, with heavy snow falling and several inches of snow already on the ground," he said.

"We even had to dig down through snow to locate the fire hydrant but at least we knew its exact position thanks to a recent hydrant maintenance programme the Service has undertaken."

Regional news »