A car fire was spilling a large amount of burning fuel in 'close proximity' to a property in Dorchester.

Firefighters from Dorchester Station were alerted to the vehicle fire on Queens Avenue just before 10pm on Saturday.

The car was found to be 'well alight' when firefighters arrived, with burning fuel spreading close to a property. 

A spokesperson for Dorchester Fire Station said: "On Saturday, November 18, at approximately 9.55pm a crew from Dorchester was mobilised to a vehicle fire in the town.

"On arrival, the vehicle was found to be well alight with a large amount of burning fuel spreading within close proximity to a property. The officer in charge requested a second appliance to assist, which came from Dorchester.

"Crews in breathing apparatus used hose reel jets, foam and a dry powder extinguisher to extinguish the fire."

The stop message - meaning that the situation is under control and no further resources are needed - came in at 10.42pm.

One resident who was shocked by the blaze said: “We couldn’t help but see the flames and were quite surprised by how long it took to put out.

“The fire brigade was very quick and just seemed to pour gallons of water.

“A second fire engine arrived later on, and they used the fire hydrant up the street to get more water.

“It is not the kind of thing that happens in quiet leafy Dorchester. It is a bit of a shock really.”

Another resident said: “We saw a couple of fire engines and some sort of blaze, but I don’t know because the engine was in the way.”