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Search for£1m Arson attack in Newton Abbot
Tuesday, August 26, 2008, 11:36
Firefighters faced a race against time as they fought a ferocious fire involving road planers carrying thousands of litres of fuel at Tetlaw Contracting in Brunel Industrial Estate.
Surveying the damage managing director Sean Witheford (pictured) said: "We are not going to get much change out of £1million." Firefighters were forced to use metal buckets to catch fuel leaking from one blazing vehicle to stop the substance entering the watercourse and harming wildlife.
Fire-starters are believed to have struck at the compound just after midnight yesterday.
The alarm was raised by a police patrol car and fire crews from Newton Abbot were dispatched.
Watch manager Scott Leaman said firefighters climbed over the gate using a ladder to get in and start fighting the blaze while others cut their way through the gate.
He said: "My concern was, with the westerly winds, the building was going to get hit. But because of the quick actions of my guys only the guttering and fascias were damaged.
"Two vehicles were well alight. One was leaking fuel and there was a torrent of it flowing out.
"Our priority was also to minimise damage to the environment and there was a danger the fuel would run into the watercourse, potentially harming wildlife once it hit the river.
"We used sand to mop it up and also decanted fuel into metal buckets which then went into a container onsite.
"A running fuel fire is not the easiest job because fire can run down the leak towards you."
A fire service hazardous materials officer and an Environment Agency representative attended, putting down intercepting equipment to contain the fuel while firefighters dealt with the seats of fire using breathing apparatus sets, three hoses and a jet using water from a nearby water hydrant.
Blazes in the two other road planers, containing 1,500 litres and 600 litres of fuel, was dealt with swiftly, Mr Leaman said, adding: "Fuel tanks on the other two planers did not fail.
"It could have been worse had that happened, but the crews acted very quickly to prevent this."
The fires were put out within 20 minutes, but crews spent at least three hours at the scene.
Tetlaw Contracting managing director Sean Witheford travelled from his Worcestershire home to Newton Abbot to deal with the aftermath.
He said: "If the road planers are written off then we are not going to get much change out of £1million.
"We have suffered at the hands of arsonists in the last few years. This is the fourth time in the last two or three years. Other road planers have been set fire to in Axminster, Crediton and Dorset."
Mr Witheford was alerted as the drama unfolded by a local manager. He said: "The road planers were all due to go out on jobs and we do not want to let any customers down.
"We have 22 onsite in total, but losing three is still a pretty big hole in our operation."
Police confirmed it is being investigated as a suspected arson attack.
Acting Sergeant Lou Barlow, based at Newton Abbot police station, said: "We would like to hear from anyone who may have seen something suspicious. Fire investigators are looking into the cause but on the face of it, it does look like it was arson."
It is thought the suspects got into the site by cutting a hole in the fence at the rear of the premises.
Contact police on 08452 777 444 quoting crime number JN08 2428.
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