‘I felt my house shake’ Witness tells of terrifying van explosions
AN eyewitness has described the “insane” moment a burning van repeatedly exploded on his street.
Gas cylinders inside the vehicle set off a series of explosions on Friday last week.
Neighbours who had to be evacuated from their homes could be heard shrieking as a loud bang sounded on Fulford Road, and a flash of white lit up the darkness.
Firefighters were deployed at about 10.15pm after the blaze broke out near the row of shops, and set up an exclusion zone after realising gas cylinders were inside the vehicle.
Kydis Zellinger, who saw the scene unfold, was inside at home when the first explosion happened.
He said: “I felt my house shake, I was terrified someone in my family had fallen from the attic.
“I rushed out to find my family members equally shaken up.
“We went outside thinking it was maybe an earthquake or something.”
It was only when they emerged that they saw the huge flames and black smoke pouring into the night sky.
Kydis added: “While recording, the van exploded once again, and continued to spout blue sparks just after the video ended.
“It was insane.”
He said the street was cordoned off as police and firefighters worked to make the scene safe.
Bedminster Fire Station shared brief details of the incident over the weekend and said neighbours were evacuated after “multiple” explosions.
They traced the explosions to gas cylinders that were inside the van, and said an “exclusion zone” was set up while the blaze was safely extinguished.
Avon Fire and Rescue Service has now confirmed that the cause of the fire is believed to be accidental, and shared more information about what happened.
A spokesperson said: “The van contained highly fallible cylinders containing oxygen, propane and acetylene which were deemed to be highly flammable.
“The police arranged an exclusion zone the entire length of and streets off Pavey Road while the area was made safe.
“A thermal imaging camera was used to see the cooling of cylinders during the operation.”
The fire service has thanked residents for the patience they showed at the time.