A vehicle fire has caused significant damage to the front of a house and an adjoining garden in Bembridge this evening (Monday).
It was shortly before 20:00 that plumes of smoke could be seen billowing into the evening sky over the village.
It appears the fire began on the driveway of a property off Heathfield Road, with flames licking up the front porch and up the side of the house to the fascia and guttering.
The heat of the blaze has caused damage to a garden fence and nearby trees.
It appears a small vehicle – understood to be a Reliant Robin – has been destroyed.
Hampshire & Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service has bought the situation swiftly under control with a retained crew from Sandown mobilised to the scene, alongside appliances from Shanklin and Ryde.
Thankfully, no persons are thought to have been injured.
It comes just over an hour after a blaze broke out at a commercial premises on Riverway, Newport – as first reported by Island Echo.
UPDATE – Island Echo understand the Reliant Robin was most recently acquired from Busy Bee Garden Centre.
Fire crews have now stood down.
Reliant Regals have a history of “bursting” into flames. I was lucky with mine,
If the powers that be did not close the Bembridge fire station it would have been put out much quicker. Waiting for an appliance to come from Ryde and Sandown would have taken quite a while. Lucky that no one was trapped inside.