A fire started in a van being repaired at W Carey Motor Engineers is said to have engulfed the business “within thirty seconds”, reports Get Surrey.
Manager, Richard Carey, had attempted to put out the fire when it was brought to his attention by one of his workers, luckily most of the staff were on their lunchbreaks at the time.
Mr Carey said: “One of the lads was at college and he came in to get his work boots.
“He then came running in screaming ‘Rich the van is on fire!’
“The van was inside on the ramp and when I came out of my office I’ve seen a whirlwind of fire inside the van.
“I grabbed the fire extinguisher to put it out, but it started spreading so I just got out of there.”
The fire, the cause of which is still being investigated by Surrey Fire and Rescue Service, was amplified by fifty litres of break fluid that was inside the garage.
After evacuating the building, Mr Carey said he watched as the fire engulfed it “within thirty seconds”.
Mr Carey and his staff are now working out of a smaller workshop next door, with plans to rebuild the devastated premises after investigations by the Surrey Fire and Rescue Service have been completed.