A firefighter on the turntable ladder removes a small panel from the unit's roof to check for fire spread.

14 July 2008

Swift action by firefighters prevented a fire which started outside a factory in Milton Keynes from causing serious damage.

Buckinghamshire Fire & Rescue Service was called to Massmould, in Bradbourne Drive, Tilbrook, at 7.22am on Saturday. The fire started in an oil drum outside the two-storey unit and the cause is currently being investigated.

Station Manager David Norris, incident commander, said: "Crews wearing breathing apparatus were able to get inside with a hose reel and knock the fire down before it had taken hold of the fabric of the building. Had they not been able to do this it could have spread very quickly.

"They then cut away insulation panels and used a thermal imaging camera to check for further fire spread."

Crews from Bletchley, Great Holm, Broughton and Newport Pagnell attended, along with the turntable ladder, which was on standby at Aylesbury, the Operational Support Unit, the Command and Control Unit, the canteen van and a number of officers.