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Disaster averted as Concord motorbike fuel station blaze doused

Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service A firefighter hoses down a burnt petrol pumpTyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service
Firefighters were at the scene within six minutes stopping the blaze from causing an explosion

Firefighters have been praised for averting a "disastrous explosion" when a motorbike caught fire at a petrol station.

Crews were at the garage on Heworth Road in the Concord area of Washington within six minutes, the Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service said.

Station manager Andy Blower said the "incredibly dangerous" blaze on Tuesday afternoon could have been a "disaster" if not dealt with quickly.

No-one is thought to have been injured.

STEPHEN STOTT The motorbike on fire at the petrol stationSTEPHEN STOTT
A passer-by filmed the motorbike on fire

Firefighters were called at 15:26 BST on Tuesday to a "motorcycle well alight" and flames spreading to the nearby petrol pump, a spokesman said.

They isolated the petrol supply to surrounding pumps, evacuated the petrol station and immediately began to extinguish the fire thereby preventing a "disastrous explosion", the spokesman added.

Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service Burnt remains of a motorbike dowsed with waterTyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service
The motorbike was well alight when firefighters were called

Mr Blower said: "This was a fantastic response from all the staff involved.

"A fire at a petrol station is incredibly dangerous. There is an abundance of flammable materials that could lead to disaster so the speed of the response is crucial."

Crews left the scene half an hour after first being called with the site left in the hand of its owners.

Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service Firefighters spray water on a burning pumpTyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service
Firefighters were at the petrol station for half an hour
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