Brave firefighters averted disaster in Welwyn Garden City yesterday (July 29), when they extinguished a spreading blaze after a car caught alight.

Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service was called at 1.04pm to reports of a car on fire near the Royal Mail delivery office on Bessemer Road.

One fire engine from Hatfield fire station rushed to the scene, where the crew found one vehicle well alight, with the fire spreading to the grass embankment.

Firefighters used two hose reels and a dry powder extinguisher with the fire put out by 1:25pm. Crews remained at the scene until around 2.20pm to hand the incident over to Hertfordshire County Council's highways team.

Mark Barber, assistant chief fire officer, said: "Our Hatfield crew were dispatched to a car on fire in Bessemer Road, Welwyn Garden City.

"The fire was spreading to the grass embankment, but firefighters were able to contain and extinguish the fire within 15 minutes of arriving on scene.

"The current hot and dry weather means that fires are more likely to start, and more likely to spread quickly, so we’d ask people to take extra care."