The quick actions of a veteran mechanic helped stop a fire from engulfing an entire industrial plaza in south London.
Jeff Tetreau was working on a vehicle at the Lambeth Service Centre on Wonderland Rd. S around 12:30pm on Friday, when the torch he was using ignited gasoline fumes causing a massive blaze.
"I was working on a gas tank on the one side of a vehicle, drained the fuel out, I went to work on the other side, got the torch going, the fumes caught and caught the car on fire," said Tetreau, who has co-owned the auto shop with his brother for nearly 20 years.
Tetreau quickly sprang into action grabbing a fire extinguisher to try to extinguish the blaze, while yelling over to a friend at a neighbouring business to call 911.
"My adrenaline was going. I didn't even have time to think about being scared," said Tetreau. "I was just trying to get it out and stop it from spreading. I just didn't want to see anyone get hurt."
London firefighters extinguish a fire at the Lambeth Service Centre on Wonderland Rd. S, February 24, 2017. (Photo by Miranda Chant, Blackburn News.)
London firefighters arrived on scene to find flames and thick black smoke billowing out of the auto shop's two bay doors.
"There was the potential here for a loss of all of the businesses in the plaza," said District Fire Chief Andy Britton. "The walls between each of these buildings is just drywall. There is a little bit of water damage on each side, smoke has mitigated up through the roof. The fire could have taken each business."
Fire crews doused the fire shortly after arriving on scene.
Bitton said Tetreau ingested a lot of smoke but was otherwise no worse for wear, however the auto shop was significantly damaged.
"He has got a lot of electronics in there, a lot of high end equipment, so it will be a significant loss for him. I'm going to say well over $100,000," said Britton.
Tetreau said he was just happy his brother, who was on his lunch break, was not in the shop at the time.
"It happened in a flash. It was very fast. I am glad he wasn't over at the other car when the fire started," said Tetreau.