Lorry blaze at Chipping Norton

A driver escaped serious harm after passing motorists alerted him to the fact his lorry was on fire
Firefighters tackling the lorry fireFirefighters tackling the lorry fire
Firefighters tackling the lorry fire

The 30-tonne lorry caught fire on the A361 London Road near Chipping Norton on Wednesday evening.

The emergency services were called at around 5pm and an engine from Chipping Norton Fire Station arrived on the scene within minutes. They found the cab of lorry carrying aggregate was fully engulfed by fire.

Fire fighters wearing breathing apparatus tackled the blaze using high pressure water jets. Due to the size of the fire and the potential for large amounts of diesel that a vehicle of this size can carry, an additional fire engine from Charlbury Fire Station was sent in support.

Kevin Jeffrey, Watch Commander Chipping Norton and Incident Commander, said: “The driver of the vehicle was heading out of town when he noticed that drivers coming the opposite way were signalling to him, as they could see smoke coming from his lorry.

“His actions were spot on: he quickly and safely pulled over and dismounted his vehicle just moments before a serious fire broke out. He immediately moved away from the fire to a place of safety and called 999.

“This is exactly the same action to take if you discover a fire in your property and emphasises the importance of one of our key messages: Get out, stay out, and call the Fire Service out, and do not put yourself in danger by attempting to extinguish the fire yourself”

Station Manager Mick Clarke who also attended the incident said: “The decision to close this arterial route at one of the busiest times of day was not taken lightly. An incident of this nature whilst usually short lived, requires a dynamic attack from fire crews. Stopping and diverting the traffic temporarily was necessary for the incident’s successful conclusion, and to keep the public and crew safe, and I would like to thank the public for their patience and understanding”