A FIRE gutted two ‘heavy goods vehicles’ on a Kendal industrial estate.

Rob Davies, who caught the flames on camera from Shap Road, said the smoke ‘filled the morning sky’ and could be seen from his home on Kirkbarrow.

Mr Davies was on his way back from a night shift at Menzies Distribution at the Westmorland Business Park - where he had been packing editions of The Westmorland Gazette - at around 4.30am.

Mr Davies said: “While on the phone to the fire brigade at 4.35am there were a few bangs and pops that could be heard from my location.

“The black smoke rising and trailing filled the morning sky, clearly to be seen from my home in Kirkbarrow.

“Also, as I was on the phone to the police, the fire brigade passed me and was en route with the police at 4.35am as I put the phone down.”

Mr Davies said he was unable to see exactly where the fire was coming from.

He did post the video to Facebook, where other people reported hearing a ‘loud bang’, although Mr Davies said he did not hear a ‘loud explosion’ despite there being some bangs and pops.

Sean Hevey, station manager for Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service (CFRS), said the fire took place in the United Utilities compound on Mintsfeet Industrial Estate.

He said two ‘light water tankers’ had caught alight and both were ‘consumed by fire’.

The vehicles were parked in close proximity to each-other so a fire may have started in one and then spread to another.

Mr Hevey said there were no injuries and the cause of the fire was a ‘possible mechanical failure’.

“It is possible that a mechanical default could cause ignition of the vehicle,” he said.

A CFRS spokesman said two fire engines were called out to the incident at 4.38am last Thursday.

The spokesman said: “The fire, involving two heavy goods vehicles, was extinguished using two breathing apparatus, one hose reel jet and one 70-mm jet.

“Crews were in attendance for approximately one hour.”