Express & Star

A huge blaze has devastated a car renovation business in the Black Country. Hundreds of workers from neighbouring factories in Grice Street, West Bromwich, were evacuated as the flames spread through a series of buildings used by Prestige Spray.

A total of 40 firefighters from stations across the Black Country battled with the blaze for nearly two hours from 3pm yesterday, with crews remaining on site overnight to ensure the building was safe.

The firm remained closed today as firefighters dampened down.

Prestige Spray owner Paul Kaminski said staff were spraying a new Astra car in an “oven” in the factory when the fire started.

He said: “The car caught light and it set fire to the filters in the oven. Once those fumes have caught fire there is not really anything you can do about it. I tried to put it out but it burned my throat.”

The cost of the fire and long term plans for the business were not known today.

John Degan, from neighbouring brick merchants Hanson, said: “The first thing I noticed was lots of thick black smoke coming from the top of the building.

“The fire brigade have been trying to drag a lot of cars out of there to save them from the fire as well.

“The car I saw was certainly well done by the time they got it out of the oven.”

West Midlands Fire Service spokesman Mike Fox said fire crews remained on scene at the site all night to prevent secondary fires from starting and investigators are now looking into the circumstances of the blaze.

Meanwhile, a second eight pump fire kept crews busy throughout the night at an industrial estate on Sedgley Road West in Tipton.

The call was made to the emergency services at 9.30pm last night by on-site security.

Crews including Tipton, Oldbury, Wednesbury, Dudley and Bilston, battled the blaze.

Watch commander Paul Harpin, of Tipton said: “The derelict building was already pretty badly damaged before the fire and is now gutted.”