Arsonists set fire to 22 vehicles

Oct 6 2009 by Chris Henwood, Birmingham Mail

TWENTY vehicles were engulfed in flames today after arsonists went on the rampage in a Black Country industrial estate.

Six separate fires were started on the land in Wolverhampton’s Qualcast Road, off Willenhall Road, in the early hours of this morning.

Eighteen cars were ablaze at one point and the fire spread to a Martini Tyres compound next door where two lorries caught light.

Two fire crews from Fallings Park had to use cutting equipment to get past fencing around the site.

They were called out at 4.30am and joined by two furthers crews from Wolverhampton and also police.

Officers, who are investigating the incident as arson, were today trying to establish the owners of the cars.

A Fire Service spokesman said: “It was arson – there couldn’t have been another reason for it.

“The vehicles were well alight – if it had been in daylight you would have seen the smoke over the other side of town.”

He said fire was quickly brought under control and stopped from spreading among dozens of vehicles, including lorries and vans, on the Martini Tyres site.

Martini Tyres managing director Chris Lovell said: “Business has been slow at the minute anyway so it’s terrible.

“At first I was devastated about the lorries that were totalled, but then I was partly relieved about the vehicles that weren’t burnt.”

An unnamed worker from a nearby factory said: “I got here this morning and saw the cars had been torched.

“It looks like the wind blew the fire on to the yard next door.”

Firefighters used four breathing apparatus, four main jets and one hose reel to put out the fire.

A spokesman for West Midlands Police said: “It is being treated as arson and we are investigating.”

No injuries were reported. Crews from Fallings Parks remained on the site until 7am today and were due to be replaced by a day crew later in the morning.