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Firefighters from Crowborough and Uckfield are fighting a blaze in a Crowborough pub car park this afternoon (Monday, 11 August).
An electric van, which was being charged at one of the Blue Anchor Pub charging stations, in Beacon Road, seems to have over-heated and gone up in flames. No-one appears to have been injured and the only damage is to the vehicle and the charging equipment.
Residents nearby reported hearing two loud explosions shortly after 3.40pm. Also on the scene is a specialist East Sussex Fire and Rescue Environmental Unit. Emergency services were called and were quickly on the scene.
One onlooker told Crowborough News: “I’ve never seen an electric vehicle fire before. It looks like it’s really difficult to get under control. It calms down then another bit of the electrics sparks up.”
People watched as the firefighters wearing breathing equipment used foam and water to get the flames under control. They then stood by as smoke billowed from the vehicle into the sky, and dampened it down numerous times as it threatened to take hold again.
One witness said the bangs heard by people nearby and in the pub had probably been caused by the van’s tyres exploding.