£10,000 fire won’t close us down, vows boss
GUTTED ... C&B Electricals boss Dwayne Chisholm.
A FAMILY electrical business is still up and running despite fire tearing through a factory unit during the weekend.
An estimated £7,000 to £10,000 damage was caused in the early hours of Saturday after the blaze at C&B Electricals at Mitre Place in Tyne Dock, South Shields.
It is believed the fire was caused by a stray spark, which smouldered in rubbish within the unit before catching fire.
A Mitshubshi van and a trailer were destroyed in the blaze and there was severe damage to a quad bike, all of which were inside the unit at the time.
When firefighters from South Shields arrived at the scene, they had to force open shutter doors that will need to be replaced.
Meanwhile, electrics within the unit will need to be repaired.
But despite the extensive damage, Dwayne Chisholm, 49, who manages the business with his son, Andy, said the firm was still open for business.
He said: “We were cutting steel on Friday night and we think a spark may have gone into the rubbish stored in the trailer and smouldered overnight, before catching fire at about three 3am. Our alarm went off and I was thinking it was just a false alarm, but when I got here it was well away.
“We’ve been here two-and-a-half years and we have loyal customers.
“We had to cancel a few jobs on Saturday morning, but people were very understanding.
“There is extensive damage to all the wiring, we’ll need new roller shutter doors, but fortunately the fire didn’t reach the store or the office.
“The van is probably a write-off, the quad bike was worth about £500 and the trailer £700.
“We’re looking at total damage in the region of £7,000 to £10,000.
“It’s a big blow but we’re still open for business.
“It could have been worse, and the fire brigade were on the scene within 10 minutes.”
Twitter: @ shieldsgaz paul
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Weather for Jarrow
Sunday 26 May 2013
Today
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Temperature: 6 C to 17 C
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