Quick response

By Tania Martin
EMERALD residents have been praised for their quick thinking during an inferno at the town’s petrol station last week.
They rushed to the aid of a woman after her car went up in flames as she was filling a jerry can with petrol.
And staff prevented a larger crisis by flicking a safety switch to cut off the bowsers’ petrol supply.
A 41-year-old Nangana woman suffered burns to her hands and face following a fire at the Shell Coles Express Service Station in Emerald shortly before 6.30pm on Monday 23 February.
The emergency services say she had placed the can in the back seat of her car, and static from the carpet caused the fire to spark.
Within seconds her station wagon had gone up in flames.
Two other cars and several petrol pumps were also damaged in the blaze.
Emerald Police Sergeant Fiona Tolmi said the quick actions of the CFA prevented what could have been a disastrous situation.
She also praised customers for pulling the woman to safety.
Staff from the adjacent IGA supermarket also assisted with the evacuation and a local pharmacist was on site to tend to the woman’s burns.
IGA staff also rushed to cool the woman’s burns with bottles of water until help arrived.
An Ambulance spokesman said the woman was airlifted to The Alfred hospital in a serious but stable condition.
The woman remains in a satisfactory condition.
Emerald CFA Captain Paul Yandle said when the fire started customers dropped their pump nozzles and ran.
“They also took the lady with the burns with them,” he said.
Mr Yandel said if the fire had taken hold the service station building and cars would have gone up in flames.
But he said when staff realised what was happening they flicked the station’s safety master switch which controls power to the bowsers.
Mr Yandle said the fire also had the potential to damage a further two cars if it got out of control.
“There would have been no other real risk to the town apart from a bit of smoke drift from the fire,” he said.
Mr Yandle said when the brigade arrived three cars were on fire next to the bowsers.
He said it was the first time in more than 20 years that something like this had happened.
Mr Yandle said it was lucky there was a crew at the fire station as the majority of the unit was out battling a blaze in Upwey.
“The police were at the fire station when they got the call so we were able to jump in the truck and were on-site within four minutes,” he said.
“We were able to get the fire under control within 10 minutes … the guys did an excellent job.”
Mr Yandle said it was only lucky the fire was later in the day.
“Earlier there was a line down the street with people filling up because of the fire threat,” he said.
“It could have been a lot worse.”
Mr Yandle said one man had filled his car with valuable possessions and was filling up before evacuating.
“It’s ironic he had packed all his stuff in his car only to lose it in a car fire.” Mr Yandle has warned people to always fill jerry cans on a flat concrete surface to prevent similar fires. The station opened at 4pm last Friday 27 February.