Van destroyed following lithium battery blaze

Redbridge and St Mary’s crews were alerted to a van fire on the drive of a property on Berwick Close in Southampton after numerous calls were made into the HIWFRS Control Room.

The van was destroyed in the blaze, with firefighters working to prevent the fire spreading to the house, which only suffered smoke and heat damage.

Firefighters in breathing apparatus stopped the fire using hose reels and jets before clearing smoke with ventilation fans.

The lithium battery, which is believed to have sparked the fire, was removed from the vehicle and submerged in water before HIWFRS left the scene at around 10pm.