Miracle Escape from Ferndown Gas Blast (1 Viewer)

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A scaffolder has told of his miracle escape from a gas explosion in Ferndown that saw hundreds of residents evacuated from nearby flats.

Dan Webb, 22, had moved his car from a resident’s parking bay in Manor Close moments before the explosion – unwittingly placing himself just yards from an area soon to be engulfed by fire. The Standard Scaffolding worker had returned to his car on Friday for a lunch break when a loud noise and shooting flames sent him scrambling for reverse gear.

“I parked right where the explosion happened. If I had parked 10 yards further forward, I would have been caught in the flames. I put the car in reverse pretty quickly,” he said.

“There was a huge explosion and then I heard an incredible roaring sound. I hadn’t heard anything like it before. The flames shot up a 60ft oak tree.

“It wasn’t a fire that escalated. The flames were enormous from the moment of the explosion. The fire brigade was on the scene pretty quickly.

“I was more worried about the old people in the flats. The impact had shattered some of their windows,” said Mr Webb.

More than 20 residents from the flats spent Friday night in the City Lodge Hotel at Longham while emergency services fought the giant flames for more than eight hours, finally extinguishing the blaze at 9.20pm.

A spokesman for Southern Gas Networks said an investigation into the cause of the explosion was ongoing.

Source: Bournemouth Daily Echo
 
I saw that on the local news, sounds like a close escape!
 
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