Staff at a caravan repair business helped to drag their boss to safety after a major fire broke out. Emergency services were called to the Caravan Repair Centre on the Gilchrist Thomas industrial estate in Blaenavon on Wednesday night.
Multiple crews from fire and rescue stations across south Wales were called to the scene alongside emergency service colleagues and partner agencies. Staff at the company were also alerted and arrived at the scene to find their boss trapped in the yard of the business behind a locked gate.
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Dan Clint, 17, and his colleague Morgan Sullivan were two minutes away when they got the call for help from their boss. They desperately tried to get through the business's shop to the yard but were beaten back by the flames. The gate in the yard where their boss was trapped could only be opened from the outside.
Their boss, who was by this point suffering from the effects of smoke inhalation, managed to throw the keys to them, and they were able to get the gate open and drag him to safety with the help of firefighters who had arrived on the scene.
The owner of the business was then taken to the Grange Hospital in Cwmbran suffering from the effects of smoke inhalation. Dan said: "We had a phone call from our boss and the workplace was on fire. Luckily, we were only two minutes away so got to the scene quickly, and one of the other members of staff got there quite quickly too.
"We opened the fire door in the shop but there was so much black smoke and fire and flames that came flying at us and were forced back. We went round the side and the boss was there coughing. It took us about five minutes to find the right key because they are new and he had lots on the key ring, but we managed to open it and then the fire crews arrived and were able to grab him and take him to safety."
Morgan said: "It was a like scene out of a film. Just moments after we got him to safety, the place where he had been went up in flames and the fire crews were trying to get the gas cylinders away." Fire crews used specialist equipment to tackle the blaze that involved several caravans and vehicles.
These pictures show the aftermath of the huge blaze:
Members of the public were advised to avoid the area to allow for emergency service access. Local residents were also advised to keep their windows and doors closed due to the high levels of smoke in the area.
South Wales Fire and Rescue confirmed that one person was rescued from the premises and all other persons have been accounted for. Head of risk reduction for South Wales Fire and Rescue Service, Jason Evans, said: “We would also like to thank the public for their cooperation during this complex and arduous incident.
"Officers will remain at the scene for a number of hours to carry out investigations and we’d like to remind the public to proceed with caution in and around the area. Our crews worked tirelessly to secure the area and worked with partner agencies to bring the incident to a safe conclusion. We will continue to work alongside our partners to protect our communities and keep South Wales safe.”
The cause of the fire is still under investigation but roads around the area have now been re-opened. Morgan, who lived in a caravan at the business, said he had lost everything in the blaze.
"There is nothing left," he said. "I live in one of the caravans at the scene, so it was luck that I was not there last night, but everything has gone."
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