PENSIONERS’ CAR TURNED INTO FIREBALL
AN elderly resident has spoken of his horror as his wife’s car became ‘a fireball’ outside the family home.
The incident happened outside a detached property on Thornhill Road, in the village of Gorslas in Carmarthenshire, on Monday night.
Derek Mcandrew and his wife Judy were inside with their young grandson when all of a sudden their car “was turned into a fireball” at around 7.45pm.
Mr Mcandrew, who is aged 75, said he felt lucky that nobody was seriously injured.
The alleged incident was caught on CCTV and Mr Mcandrew claims it suggests the fire was deliberate.
“This is a shocking incident,” he said. “The result of this could have been worse.
“The day before I had only just returned from a trip, and as I got home in the early hours I decided to park down the drive a bit, further from the house.
“It’s very lucky that I did, because if I’d parked nearer the house itself the fire could have spread.
“The car just turned into a fireball.
“The car was totally burnt out, as was everything in it.”
The car, a blue Ford Ecosport, belongs to Mr Mcandrew’s wife, who bought the mobility car as she is battling breast cancer.
As devastating and traumatic as the event was, Mr Mcandrew said that, ultimately, the loss of the car didn’t matter.
“I don’t care about the car,” he said.
“We can replace that, but the effect this has had on my wife has been awful.
“I just want the police to get to the bottom of this.”
Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service confirmed that they received a call alerting them to a car fire in the area at 7.53pm on Monday, November 5.
A fire crew from Ammanford was sent to the scene and used a hose reel jet and foam to extinguish the blaze.
Police say they are investigating two incidents that happened in the Gorslas area on Monday night.
A spokeswoman for Dyfed-powys Police said: “We were alerted to two car fires in the Gorslas area on Monday, November 5.
“A 52-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of arson and released on police bail with conditions.”