Arsonists blamed for scrapyard inferno

Arsonists are being blamed for a spectacular blaze which destroyed more than 800 wrecked cars in a scrapyard early today.

Some of the 95 firefighters who fought the fire through the night in Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, described flames reaching 150 feet into the air with exploding petrol tanks and gas cylinders causing fireballs which were visible for miles around.

Avon Fire Service Station Officer Peter Stobart said the explosion caused serious dangers for firefighters, whose problems were exacerbated by difficulties getting adequate water supplies to the site, at an old airfield.

But no one was hurt in the fire, which was now under control.

He said an investigation was under way but added: ‘‘We are most likely looking at arson.’’

‘‘It looked extremely impressive. We are looking at stacks of cars over a diameter of 200 metres,’’ Station Office Stobart said.

‘‘We had flames 30, 40, 50 metres in the air, petrol tanks involved, gas cylinders exploding.

‘‘The massive fireballs caused significant dangers for firefighters.’’

The blaze was reported at about 11.30pm last night.