'BRILLIANT' firefighters saved homes and a petrol station from certain destruction says their 'proud' chief fire officer.

By chance, chief fire officer Jon Pryce was the first member of Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service at a massive fire in Great Witley, near Worcester.

The main Esso petrol station and several homes were just yards away from being consumed by the inferno.

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The fire came within 15 to 20 feet of Great Witley Filling Station with the wind blowing and driving the spread of the flames.

Petrol tanks are underground and, although there was 'no chance of a nuclear fireball' from the petrol station, there was a risk that any contact with the fuel could add to the intensity of the fire.

"We have got a potentially very, very dangerous situation," he said.

Some villagers also had oil tanks in their gardens and there was a risk these could melt, adding more fuel to the fire.

One of the first things he did was alert crews to the presence of gas cylinders so they could be removed.

"There was a risk of an explosion. They were close to the fire which was spreading rapidly. It was going up the field towards the filling station," he said.

GUTTED: The cars at this home may have been destroyed but the house was saved thanks to firefighters in Great Witley. Photo: James Connell

Mr Pryce, who has 600 officers and firefighters under him, was heading to a meeting when he saw a large plume of smoke rising up near the Hundred House Hotel, Great Witley, on the A443 on Thursday.

The 49-year-old said: "I just happened to be in in the wrong place at the wrong time - or the right place at the right time. There were a couple of ladies who were waving down traffic and seemed very panicked."

Driving through Great Witley, Worcs today I ended up being first on scene at what became an 8 pump fire, fuel station, houses all at risk (but saved). I did very little, but superb work by all ⁦@HWFire⁩ crews. Special thanks to ⁦@HWFireWFhub⁩ crew for bailing me out! pic.twitter.com/ChddSHX3IZ

SAVED: The Esso garage and Spar shop at Great Witley Filling Station was saved by the quick actions of firefighters and members of the public

Mr Pryce put on his blue lights and pulled over. He had no equipment himself to fight the fire but was able to get people away from danger and gather information to assist arriving crews. 

However, he stressed it was the crews on the ground that deserved the praise.

"They did an absolutely brilliant job," he said.

The fire was burning at the source in a mobile home, spreading over the field and hedgerows and encroaching on the back of the filling station. The fire formed an L-shape, spreading up the hedgerows towards more houses further up the hill.

One house on the main road was particularly close to being consumed - the blaze gutted two cars and damaged a garage but the house itself was saved.

A crew from Bromyard tackled the fire there.

PRAISE: Chief fire officer and chief executive Jon Pryce said he had no doubt the actions of fire crews saved homes and businesses from the fire in Great Witley. Photo: Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service

"They saved the house. We did not lose a single house or the filling station. We protected people's homes by working incredibly hard. Without any shadow of a doubt their hard work saved people's homes," he said.

SOURCE: The source of the fire in Great Witley was a mobile home. The cause is being investigated but is not thought to be suspicious at the present time

The father-of-one said he was 'immensely proud' of the fire crews.

Crew commander Roddy Mole arrived with the first fire engine from Wyre Forest with five more still on the way from Worcester, Tenbury, Leominster, Bromyard and Malvern.

Bob Sproat took command of the incident as more crews joined the fight to contain the fire.

ACTION: Firefighters in full gear and 35C heat fight the fire in Great Witley. The chief fire officer compared it to 'running around wrapped in a duvet for hours' as he praised the dedication and professionalism of the crews

Mr Pryce praised all his crews, working in 35C heat wearing safety gear which he compared to 'running around wrapped in a duvet for hours'.

Mr Pryce also praised 'brilliant' members of the public who helped stop the spread including Steve Walker, an ex-firefighter who worked at the garage.

Some villagers used hoses and buckets of water to protect their homes and gardens.

Mr Pryce said the Great Witley fire was 'just a snapshot' of what crews were dealing on a daily basis with after a spate of wildfires in Worcestershire and Herefordshire over July and into August

Crews, he said, were dealing with 10 to 15 of these types of fires per day on top of other jobs.

He urged people to be particularly careful about any potential source of ignition, not just disposable barbecues, and said he was 'astonished' how many fires were being caused by people lighting bonfires, particularly in this dry weather.

The cause of the Great Witley fire is still under investigation but fire experts do not believe it was suspicious. 

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