Nation’s largest car supermarket with ‘hundreds’ of motors inside ravaged by fire that tore through it ‘in seconds’
A HUGE car supermarket selling hundreds of motors has been ravaged by a fire which tore through the business “in seconds”.
More than 100 firefighters were required to battle the flames as explosions rang out around the site.
Ron Skinner & Sons in Tredegar was renowned as Wales’ largest used car supermarket until it was struck down by the inferno.
The building burst into flames on Friday evening, devastating the hundreds of cars inside, all of which had fewer than 20,000 miles on the clock.
Fire crews were still battling the blaze the next morning but said they had managed to contain it by 5am on Saturday.
Fortunately, no injuries have been reported but a large quantity of the showroom’s inventory was lost to the flames.
Adam Lewis, who worked at the business estimated that the motors were worth an average of £20,000 each.
He told the South Wales Argus: “It was quite shocking to be honest with you, seeing all the flames and the smoke coming out of the building.
“There are loads of cars inside that will be ruined.
“There will be millions of pounds worth of damage.
“I never imagined that it would be as bad as it is.
“It looks like they will need to knock it all down and start fresh, which is devastating for the community as it is one of the largest employers in the area.”
He feared that some of the jobs of hundreds of workers at the site could be at risk.
Local residents were urged to keep their windows closed as smoke swept across the sky, but the fire has since been extinguished.
The fire service has launched an investigation into the cause of the fire.
A spokesperson for the force said: “Crews are still in attendance and will maintain a presence for the next few days to ensure any smaller pockets of fire have been extinguished.”
A spokesperson for Ron Skinner and Sons said on Facebook: “As you can imagine, what has happened over the last 24 hours is truly devastating for the family of Ron Skinner and Sons and all the employees.
“Just want to say a massive thank you for all the support you’ve given us, all the heartfelt messages, they haven’t been missed and they are truly appreciated.
“We are open as normal in Crosshands, Cardiff and Neyland.”
It comes after a crooked car dealer was forced to pay out thousands after selling an “unroadworthy” hatchback to an unsuspecting customer.