Family flee car as flames engulf its engine at Cosham BP petrol station
A YOUNG family had a lucky escape when their car burst into flames at a garage.
The two adults and a child were forced to flee their vehicle after its engine block ignited while they were parked at the BP filling station in Northern Road, Cosham.
Fortunately, the incident happened just yards away from Cosham fire station, and firefighters were able to rush across the road to extinguish the flames.
Firefighter Steve Roberts, who attended the emergency, said: ‘The family had been parked up when their car’s engine caught fire.
‘They were all out of the car very quickly. There was no real danger to the petrol station. It all happened very quickly.’
Taking place at 3.30pm on Sunday, two firefighters wearing breathing apparatus used a hose reel to douse the ‘Citroen-style people-carrier' with water.
Nobody was hurt during the incident but the car – believed to be a Citroen Picasso – was seriously damaged.
‘The whole engine block was completely destroyed,’ firefighter Roberts said, adding: ‘It was nothing suspicious or malicious. It just seemed like the engine overheated.’
Firefighters left the scene shortly after 4pm.
Passers-by were hailed as heroes after rushing to her aid in a desperate attempt to extinguish the flames and save her life.