Portsmouth lorry fire 'turned into a barbecue' after tonnes of meat torched in the blaze

TONNES of meat destined for dinner plates across Portsmouth was cooked prematurely after a lorry fire this morning.
By David George
Published 30th Jan 2020, 17:40 GMT
Updated 30th Jan 2020, 18:49 GMT
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Firefighters were called to Walton Road in Farlington this morning after a lorry containing almost 40 tonnes of meat caught fire.

While only a medium-size fire, the meat inside was more than well done, with crews spending four hours tackling the blaze.

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There was almost 40 tonnes of meat inside the van. Picture: Hampshire Fire and Rescue ServiceThere was almost 40 tonnes of meat inside the van. Picture: Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service
There was almost 40 tonnes of meat inside the van. Picture: Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service

The driver of the lorry had apparently pulled over to take a break when he spotted the fire.

Crew manager Steve Alchin from Cosham Fire Station said: ‘It was a refrigerated articulated lorry, but the motor that runs the unit had caught fire just after 10am.

‘Because it was a full lorry we also had to unload all 48 tonnes of meat.

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‘It turned into a literal barbecue – and really did smell like one too.’

Fortunately, nobody was injured in the blaze.

‘The driver had spotted the fire and managed to not only pull away, but drop the trailer for us to access it,’ crew manager Alchin added.

‘We were there until 2pm and were joined by crews from Havant and Southsea.’

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Related topics:PortsmouthHampshireHavantSouthsea

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