Three-vehicle ‘ferocious’ fire breaks out in Bolton

The blaze broke out at around 6.20am on Sunday, March 1, outside Transporters 247 Ltd, trading as urtyres.co, and involved three vehicles.

A man, who asked to be known only as MJ and who called 999, said the fire escalated rapidly after a BMW 523i caught alight, sandwiched between a Mercedes‑Benz Sprinter and a Citroen Relay, describing the scene as “ferocious”.

CCTV footage shows him initially attempting to tackle the flames himself using a jet hose before contacting the emergency services.

MJ said: “They are so thorough and professional, there is so much more than just putting out a fire.

“Had the firefighters not checked the back of the Citroen Relay that was ready to ignite, they just stopped it in time before the fire spread to the buildings.

“The end result is like T2 or Mel Gibson’s Mad Max cars – but melted to molten liquid. It became that ferocious. I couldn’t believe it.”

He admitted he initially delayed calling emergency services.

“I wasted seven vital minutes trying to deal with it. I had no idea of the ferocity or the velocity of what came within minutes of the BMW catching fire,” he said.

“I’ve just recovered from something that could have burned down the whole of Nile Street if I delayed any longer.

“Every second counted.

“Please, it is so important for people to call 999 first.

“Don’t try like I did and faff about in panic. I learned my lesson.”

MJ said neighbouring businesses, including Halfords and ASL (a Siemens contractor), were close to the scene as the fire intensified.

CCTV footage captured the extent of the blaze and MJ’s efforts in attempting to tackle the fire.

A spokesperson for Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) said: “Shortly after 6.13am on Sunday morning (Sunday 1 March), a fire engine from Bolton fire station was called to reports of a fire involving three vehicles on Nile Street, Bolton.

“Crews arrived quickly on the scene.

“Firefighters used a hose reel jet to extinguish the fire and make the area safe.

“Firefighters were in attendance for around 50 minutes.”

No injuries were reported.