Gloucester businessman a potential life-saver in Quedgeley blaze

The actions of a quick-thinking Gloucester businessman may have saved the life of a bystander in a blaze at Quedgeley yesterday morning.

En route to meeting his running partner for their usual early-morning jog, Mark Owen of Moose Marketing and PR was driving along Severnvale Drive at around 5.35am yesterday when he spotted what he thought to be a garage on fire. 

"I stopped the car and called 999 immediately," he said.

"I thought it was a garage on fire.

"When I rang the emergency services and told them the location, they asked me if it was the electricity substation.

"I couldn't be sure - the whole thing was well alight by the time I arrived.

"I spotted a moped in the fire, and another man at the scene, who seemed to be in a state of panic.

"He was convinced that there was somebody on the moped and ran towards the fire in an attempt to rescue them.

"I grabbed his arm and pulled him back, realising that the moped could potentially have a full tank of fuel and was liable to explode at any moment."

It transpired later that a suspected stolen moped was the source of the blaze at the electricity substation.

Emergency services arrived minutes later, but were unable to deal with the blaze until Western Power had managed to isolate the electricity supply.

Crews were detained at the scene for around two-and-a-half hours extinguishing the blaze and making the site safe. 

The electricity substation was severely damaged in the incident, but happily nobody was injured.

Police investigating suspect the cause of the blaze to be arson and are calling on anyone who witnessed suspicious activity in the area, or who has any information useful to the investigation, to come forward. 

Witnesses can call 101 quoting incident 46 of March 14.

Alternatively, information can be given anonymously by calling Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111, or via the charity's website.