WOODFORD GRN: Fires erupt as crews attend training course

5:13pm Tuesday 29th April 2008

TWO major blazes broke out within an hour of each other in Woodford Green - while local fire-fighters were away on a training exercise.

In St Barnabas Road, a student had a lucky escape when fire ripped through her bedroom, and in Woodford New Road residents were forced to run for cover when a car exploded following a three-vehicle smash.

It was around 11am on Sunday when a passer-by spotted thick black smoke pouring from the roof of a three-bedroom semi-detached house in St Barnabas Road.

Student Menna El-Guindy, who was sleeping downstairs in the living room, was unaware that her house was on fire until she was woken by neighbours banging frantically on her door.

Miss El-Guindy, who was looking after the house while her parents were away on holiday, had decided to sleep downstairs after a problem with peeling walls in her bedroom.

According to fire-fighters, the blaze started in her attic bedroom after a wardrobe collapsed, knocking over an upright lamp.

"I've pretty much lost everything, all my clothes, my CDs and my guitar," she said.

And she was even more upset when she noticed that her pet cat, Pickles, had gone missing. "I was so worried we'd lost him, but he turned up a few hours later. I was so relieved."

Just minutes later fire crews were called to Woodford New Road after a three-car crash.

Witnesses said the smash, where the road meets Empress Avenue, happened when a car collided into the back of another vehicle, which then smashed into a third car.

The victims all managed to free themselves from the wreckage, but just seconds later one of the cars, a silver Vauxhall Vectra, suddenly exploded into flames.

Pensioner Rita Mayo said she was terrified by the explosion as it happened next to her house.

"I could feel the heat from my hallway, even though there were two doors in the way," she said.

"I lived here for 44 years, we do get quite a few accidents here but I've never seen one like that."

Two crash victims were taken to Whipps Cross Hospital with minor injuries.

Both fires forced police to close two major routes in Woodford for several hours, causing major traffic jams across the region.

Because the crew at Woodford Fire Station were on a training exercise crews from Edmonton and Leytonstone were drafted in.

Woodford lead officer Carl Chughtai said: "We were really disappointed. We were devastated because it's the kind of thing you live and work for and our new recruits were virtually in tears. We had gone to our drill and after ten minutes later we heard about it on the radio."

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