A car caught fire twice on a quiet Westcliff street yesterday morning, forcing firefighters to return to the scene after the blaze reignited.
The incident happened on Salisbury Avenue at around 10am on Monday 27 October, prompting emergency crews to close the road while tackling the flames.
Witnesses said the car was being worked on and had been lifted on axle stands before it caught alight.
Resident Janine Armitage, who saw the drama unfold, said:
“The fire service thought it was extinguished but… a few minutes later it reignited and worse than the first time. The road was closed for around an hour and a half roughly whilst the firefighters were there.”
Several nearby residents reported hearing “loud bangs” as the vehicle became engulfed in flames for a second time, sending smoke billowing into the air.
An Essex Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson confirmed crews were called to the incident just before 10am.
They said: “Firefighters were called to a car fire on Salisbury Avenue at 9.46am. Crews extinguished the fire by 10.56am and marked the cause as accidental.”
The car was left badly damaged, though no injuries were reported.
Firefighters remained at the scene for over an hour to ensure the area was safe before police reopened the road to traffic.