Residents rush to save cars after van bursts into flames on Bristol street

The transit van burst into flames at around 3am, causing neighbours to run to move their cars. Credit: BPM Media.

Bristol residents woke up to a van bursting into flames in the dead of night, sending sparks flying across their gardens and driveways.

Neighbours in Lawrence Weston dashed to their cars after the blaze begun, at around 3am on Sunday 1 August.

The engine of a transit van parked close to people’s homes began exploding, sending sparks of white-hot material towards other vehicles, homes and people.

Before firefighters arrived, neighbours on Broadlands Drive rushed to move their cars away from the fire and stop them from becoming part of the inferno.

The van was left burned out after the engine caught fire in the early hours of Sunday morning. Credit: BPM Media

Avonmouth fire service then arrived just as the engine sent flames into nearby hedges, driveways and gardens.

One neighbour filmed the scene as a line of burning petrol flowed across the end of her driveway.She said: “We were woken up around 3am by loud bangs - luckily we moved my car straight away before it got really big and trapped us in our driveway.

Burning petrol rolled down a neighbour's driveway before firefighters arrived. Credit: BPM Media.

“It was pretty scary."Fire crews tackled the blaze with a hose and put out the flames quickly - leaving a smouldering wreck by dawn.A spokesperson for Avon Fire and Rescue Service said the cause of the incident had not yet been confirmed.