Wigan woman's fear and terror that her husband was trapped inside his blazing van

The blaze, which broke out at around 4.30pm on Monday October 17, initially involved the van before spreading to a nearby car on Holme Terrace, Swinley.

A Wigan fire crew attended after locals reported an “explosion”.

The van driver had indeed been inside the vehicle at first but managed to scramble free before it was engulfed in flames.

On social media his wife Ellie Juckes said: "He’s very lucky indeed, as are the residents of the crescent.

"As the firemen pointed out there’s a gas pipe on the external gable end of the house next to where the van was.

"If that had gone it would have been a whole different story.

"As it was the house windows blew but thank God only that and not the gas pipe.

"It was right outside our house only two minutes before, I just dread to think.

"We were all stuck in the end of the Crescent behind the van as the smoke was billowing down like a wind tunnel.

"We couldn’t see through it it was so thick and black.

"At one point we thought our houses had started to blaze as well because we couldn’t see anything.

"From the front everything was visible but the wind blew all thick black smoke down the Crescent.

"I’ll not lie, it was terrifying I thought my husband was in the van.

"Thank God everyone’s OK, the fire brigade deserve a medal.”

A Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson said: “At around 4.30pm on Monday 17 October, firefighters were called out to Holme Terrace where a van and a car were both on fire.

“One fire engine, from Wigan Fire Station, quickly attended the scene, where the fire had also spread to the outside of a nearby house. Crews used a hose reel and breathing apparatus to extinguish the fires and were detained for around 10 minutes.”

Greater Manchester Police were made aware of the fire but the cause is not believed to be deliberate.