Thirty-three Jaecoo SUV hybrid vehicles valued at more than £900,000 have been destroyed in a fire at Southampton docks. Firefighters were called at approximately 4:20 AM today to a site on West Bay Road after local residents reported hearing explosions.
Incident Details
Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire & Rescue Service confirmed that 33 hybrid vehicles were involved in the blaze. The cars are believed to be Jaecoo E5 models, with prices starting from £27,505 each. Photographs from the scene show significant damage to the vehicles, with some completely gutted, while thick black plumes of smoke filled the air.
Emergency Response
At the peak of the incident, 10 fire engines, two water carriers, an aerial ladder platform, and support vehicles were on site, according to the fire service. Residents were advised to keep windows and doors closed as a precaution. No injuries were reported.
One nearby resident, who wished to remain anonymous, told the Daily Echo: 'It woke me up around 3:30 AM. After a while, I got up to find out what was causing so much noise and that's when I saw the smoke. I called the fire service at around 4:20 AM and was told the incident had already been reported. The car horns and explosions were quite loud. By about 5:40 AM, it looked as though the fire had been put out. The smoke was very thick and had an acidic smell.'
Cause Under Investigation
The cause of the fire is currently unknown. Associated British Ports (ABP), which operates the dockyard, stated: 'There has been a fire in a vehicle storage compound in the Western Docks area of the Port of Southampton. All personnel are safely accounted for. The fire is well under control and has impacted around 25 vehicles. ABP staff are supporting the incident response services in their work.'
