Firefighters beaten to blaze by classic engine

5:07pm Wednesday 7th May 2008

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FIRE crews that were called to a blazing car had a shock when they discovered that a 1930s classic engine had beaten them to it.

The 1937 Swedish engine had come to the country from Stockholm to join the London to Brighton Run of classic heavy goods vehicles and was passing the car, which had caught fire at Brentwood between junctions 11 and 12 of the A12.

Firefighters from Ingatestone and Brentwood were called to the incident this morning at around 11.30am but were amazed to see that the classic engine, being crewed by two serving and one retired Swedish firemen, putting out the fire themselves.

Calvin Goody, Ingatestone Station Commander, said: "We couldn't believe our eyes, it was like we had gone back in time when we turned up and there was a fire engine from 1937 there.

"The guys had tackled the fire using dry powder extinguishers and they had done a good job, but it really was a strange sight and can't imagine what the driver of the car thought when that fire engine turned up."

Nobody is believed to have been hurt in the incident.