Suspected arson destroys vehicles at Willenhall car wash site
Six cars were destroyed in a suspected arson attack at a car wash site in the Black Country today.
Firefighters battling the blaze managed to stop it spreading to a 2,000 litre container of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) linked to a pump at the yard.
A Range Rover and Mercedes van were burnt out in the fire that started around 1.30am in Lower Lichfield Street, Willenhall.
The blaze engulfed five more vehicles on the site of the car wash, destroying four of them.
Watch Commander Ade Cope from Bilston fire station said afterwards: "It was potentially a very dangerous situation but we were lucky that we got there as quickly as we did. The cars were well alight when we arrived but my main concern was the LPG pump which was about a metre away from the fire.
"It would have been a major incident if that had gone up but we managed to keep the flames at bay."
Fire investigators believe that the Range Rover and Mercedes were the first to be set alight and the fire spread to the others.
Investigations are continuing but the fire is believed to have been started deliberately.
