Firefighters had no choice but to cordon off a road in Shirley last night as a 'terrifying' blaze ripped through a car, completely destroying it.
A fire crew from Redbridge station tackled the flames with breathing apparatus and hose reels.
At about 10.50pm on February 3, a fire crew from Redbridge station arrived on Church Street to tackle a fire caught in a car facing the wrong way down a one-way street.
Breathing apparatus and hose reels were used as the vehicle was engulfed in the flames.
A resident of the road, who wished to remain anonymous, said they realised a car was on fire when they felt a 'blast of heat' hit their face as they tried to shut their windows.
"The front tires started burning and the stench got even worse," the resident said.
"There were a few bangs and pops from the car and I was worried that it was going to blow completely. I shut all my windows to stop all the smoke getting in, but the heat was still pretty strong."
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The resident said as soon as firefighters arrived, they drenched the bonnet and front tyres with 'foamy water.'
They said: "After a couple of minutes they got it under control, they doused water in through the drivers doorway and opened the trunk to do the same, and then they managed to pop the bonnet to give it a good hosing down.
"The police turned up to investigate and put tape around the now cooling down car. My entire home still reeks of burnt rubber and petrol."
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The resident also explained how the road had to be cordoned off, as plenty of drivers ignored the fire engine and tried to drive past the car that was on fire.
Fire crews tackled the blaze in the late evening. (Image: Supplied) Another person who lives on Church Street, who also wanted to remain unnamed, said that the car blaze was 'fascinating but terrifying.'
"Having a fire so close to your home like that is a very strange feeling," the resident said.
"You can't help but watch. On one hand you want to see all the colours and the flames but there was a fear that we didn't want it to get any bigger, it was terrifying in that sense."
Hampshire fire said: "The vehicle was completely destroyed, sustaining approximately 100% damage.
"Crews made the scene safe before the stop message came in at 10:30 PM."
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