FIREFIGHTERS from all over Wiltshire were called to tackle a huge blaze among piles of crushed cars at Jones Scrap Yard in Caen Hill, Devizes, on Tuesday, November 20.

More than 65 firefighters were involved in tackling the serious blaze in a large number of scrap cars piled up to seven metres high in the crowded yard.

The first fire crews arrived just after 11.45am. At that time they found two piles of crushed cars smouldering, but within minutes smoke was seen coming from other piles of cars.

Initially, two fire crews from Devizes and two from Melksham were called, but it was soon apparent that more water would be needed, and another six appliances were sent. A water carrier from Devizes, which carries 2,000 gallons of water, a control unit from Chippenham and a foam unit from Salisbury were also called.

Crews had to pump water from the Kennet and Avon Canal 800 metres away and firefighters had to wear breathing apparatus as they tackled the fire.

Scrapyard staff helped by using machines to drag away some of the crushed cars to enable the crews to get to the seat of the fire.

Devizes Fire Station commander Julian Beinhorn said the fire had been a particularly tricky one to bring under control.

He said: "It's fairly unusual for us to use foam and we used it because the cars had been crushed and it was difficult to get water into some of them and we needed to starve the flames of oxygen.

"The crushed vehicles were piled high and we were assisted by staff at the scrap yard who removed vehicles after we had cooled them down.

"Once a vehicle had been removed we were able to tackle the remaining vehicles."

Staff at Cox Hire Centre, which hires out plant machinery from a site at the rear of the scrapyard, watched the fire with concern.

A spokesman said: "We moved some of our own staff cars away from the fence as a precaution and we kept an eye on the fire from a 40 foot platform to make sure it was contained. We were worried it might spread."

As the fire took hold the A361 was closed to traffic travelling towards Devizes and diversions were set up through Rowde. Nearby houses were not evacuated.

The fire was finally brought under control at 4pm, but crews stayed to dampen down the site and finally left at 9.50pm. The cause of the fire is being investigated.

It is the second time in recent years there has been a major blaze at the scrapyard.

In November 1989 a huge inferno destroyed a large part of the scrapyard, causing many thousands of pounds worth of damage.

At the height of the blaze plumes of black smoke could be seen as far away as Westbury and Warminster. The owner John Jones, who died this year, refused to be beaten and was soon back in business on the site. The yard is now run by Mr Jones's sons, John and Jason, and his son-in-law Eddie Wiltshire.

No-one at the scrapyard wanted to comment on the fire yesterday but a spokesman said the yard was open for business as usual.

A major clean-up opeation was underway.