15 hours ago
Locals leap into action as car bursts into flames at servo
It was 7.30 in the morning when one of Meg Byrne's worst nightmares came true.
"I have two nightmares: one that there's a fire at the service station, and two, I get robbed," she said.
"They have always been my worst fears since I started working here."
On June 18, the former nurse was behind the counter in the Mobil service station in Bodalla on the NSW south coast when a black BMW pulled up next to the bowsers.
"I had the delivery fella in, and we were yakking, and he was putting his stuff away," Meg said.
"The lady in the BMW came in and paid, and she walked to go out the door, and she went, my car's all smoky."
The delivery driver, Ross Fredin from SCB Distributors Moruya, went outside to investigate.
"Next thing, he came back in and said Meg, press that bloody stop button now!" she said.
After shutting off the flow of petrol to the pumps, Meg called triple-zero and raced around to grab the fire extinguishers.
At this point, Noel Bate from Forestry Corporation arrived and, alongside Ross, began hosing down the burning car with the extinguishers.
With the volunteers using the accessible extinguishers inside the shop, Meg decided to access the two spares stored near the pumps.
"They're in cabinets and you have to break the glass to get the key to unlock it," she said.
"At my age, I didn't know I could kung fu kick to break the glass to get the ones from the outside."
While Ross and Noel were spraying the burning BMW, Scott Watson pulled into the driveway, emerged from his car with a one-litre extinguisher, and mucked in.
When two trucks from the fire department arrived, they set to work on dousing the car.
"They couldn't open the bonnet while it was on fire, so they were putting the extinguishers down in between the windscreen and the bonnet," Meg said.
"They had to just make sure that the motor got cold enough that it didn't reignite."
All this time, despite a visibly burning car, motorists continued to pull into the Mobil to try to refuel.
"They kept coming in the driveway and I had to stop them," she said.
"You know, you can't see the servo for smoke, but they still decide they'll come in and get fuel."
Meg told the Bay Post she was immensely grateful for the heroism of the three Samaritans who didn't hesitate to put themselves at risk.
"Without those three fellas, we would not have got that fire out," said Meg.
"We'd be in that paddock."
Once the situation was under control, and Meg had finished her shift, she went home to Kianga and soothed her nerves with a cleansing ale or two.
"And I enjoyed every bloody mouthful."
It was 7.30 in the morning when one of Meg Byrne's worst nightmares came true.
"I have two nightmares: one that there's a fire at the service station, and two, I get robbed," she said.
"They have always been my worst fears since I started working here."
On June 18, the former nurse was behind the counter in the Mobil service station in Bodalla on the NSW south coast when a black BMW pulled up next to the bowsers.
"I had the delivery fella in, and we were yakking, and he was putting his stuff away," Meg said.
"The lady in the BMW came in and paid, and she walked to go out the door, and she went, my car's all smoky."
The delivery driver, Ross Fredin from SCB Distributors Moruya, went outside to investigate.
"Next thing, he came back in and said Meg, press that bloody stop button now!" she said.
After shutting off the flow of petrol to the pumps, Meg called triple-zero and raced around to grab the fire extinguishers.
At this point, Noel Bate from Forestry Corporation arrived and, alongside Ross, began hosing down the burning car with the extinguishers.
With the volunteers using the accessible extinguishers inside the shop, Meg decided to access the two spares stored near the pumps.
"They're in cabinets and you have to break the glass to get the key to unlock it," she said.
"At my age, I didn't know I could kung fu kick to break the glass to get the ones from the outside."
While Ross and Noel were spraying the burning BMW, Scott Watson pulled into the driveway, emerged from his car with a one-litre extinguisher, and mucked in.
When two trucks from the fire department arrived, they set to work on dousing the car.
"They couldn't open the bonnet while it was on fire, so they were putting the extinguishers down in between the windscreen and the bonnet," Meg said.
"They had to just make sure that the motor got cold enough that it didn't reignite."
All this time, despite a visibly burning car, motorists continued to pull into the Mobil to try to refuel.
"They kept coming in the driveway and I had to stop them," she said.
"You know, you can't see the servo for smoke, but they still decide they'll come in and get fuel."
Meg told the Bay Post she was immensely grateful for the heroism of the three Samaritans who didn't hesitate to put themselves at risk.
"Without those three fellas, we would not have got that fire out," said Meg.
"We'd be in that paddock."
Once the situation was under control, and Meg had finished her shift, she went home to Kianga and soothed her nerves with a cleansing ale or two.
"And I enjoyed every bloody mouthful."
It was 7.30 in the morning when one of Meg Byrne's worst nightmares came true.
"I have two nightmares: one that there's a fire at the service station, and two, I get robbed," she said.
"They have always been my worst fears since I started working here."
On June 18, the former nurse was behind the counter in the Mobil service station in Bodalla on the NSW south coast when a black BMW pulled up next to the bowsers.
"I had the delivery fella in, and we were yakking, and he was putting his stuff away," Meg said.
"The lady in the BMW came in and paid, and she walked to go out the door, and she went, my car's all smoky."
The delivery driver, Ross Fredin from SCB Distributors Moruya, went outside to investigate.
"Next thing, he came back in and said Meg, press that bloody stop button now!" she said.
After shutting off the flow of petrol to the pumps, Meg called triple-zero and raced around to grab the fire extinguishers.
At this point, Noel Bate from Forestry Corporation arrived and, alongside Ross, began hosing down the burning car with the extinguishers.
With the volunteers using the accessible extinguishers inside the shop, Meg decided to access the two spares stored near the pumps.
"They're in cabinets and you have to break the glass to get the key to unlock it," she said.
"At my age, I didn't know I could kung fu kick to break the glass to get the ones from the outside."
While Ross and Noel were spraying the burning BMW, Scott Watson pulled into the driveway, emerged from his car with a one-litre extinguisher, and mucked in.
When two trucks from the fire department arrived, they set to work on dousing the car.
"They couldn't open the bonnet while it was on fire, so they were putting the extinguishers down in between the windscreen and the bonnet," Meg said.
"They had to just make sure that the motor got cold enough that it didn't reignite."
All this time, despite a visibly burning car, motorists continued to pull into the Mobil to try to refuel.
"They kept coming in the driveway and I had to stop them," she said.
"You know, you can't see the servo for smoke, but they still decide they'll come in and get fuel."
Meg told the Bay Post she was immensely grateful for the heroism of the three Samaritans who didn't hesitate to put themselves at risk.
"Without those three fellas, we would not have got that fire out," said Meg.
"We'd be in that paddock."
Once the situation was under control, and Meg had finished her shift, she went home to Kianga and soothed her nerves with a cleansing ale or two.
"And I enjoyed every bloody mouthful."
It was 7.30 in the morning when one of Meg Byrne's worst nightmares came true.
"I have two nightmares: one that there's a fire at the service station, and two, I get robbed," she said.
"They have always been my worst fears since I started working here."
On June 18, the former nurse was behind the counter in the Mobil service station in Bodalla on the NSW south coast when a black BMW pulled up next to the bowsers.
"I had the delivery fella in, and we were yakking, and he was putting his stuff away," Meg said.
"The lady in the BMW came in and paid, and she walked to go out the door, and she went, my car's all smoky."
The delivery driver, Ross Fredin from SCB Distributors Moruya, went outside to investigate.
"Next thing, he came back in and said Meg, press that bloody stop button now!" she said.
After shutting off the flow of petrol to the pumps, Meg called triple-zero and raced around to grab the fire extinguishers.
At this point, Noel Bate from Forestry Corporation arrived and, alongside Ross, began hosing down the burning car with the extinguishers.
With the volunteers using the accessible extinguishers inside the shop, Meg decided to access the two spares stored near the pumps.
"They're in cabinets and you have to break the glass to get the key to unlock it," she said.
"At my age, I didn't know I could kung fu kick to break the glass to get the ones from the outside."
While Ross and Noel were spraying the burning BMW, Scott Watson pulled into the driveway, emerged from his car with a one-litre extinguisher, and mucked in.
When two trucks from the fire department arrived, they set to work on dousing the car.
"They couldn't open the bonnet while it was on fire, so they were putting the extinguishers down in between the windscreen and the bonnet," Meg said.
"They had to just make sure that the motor got cold enough that it didn't reignite."
All this time, despite a visibly burning car, motorists continued to pull into the Mobil to try to refuel.
"They kept coming in the driveway and I had to stop them," she said.
"You know, you can't see the servo for smoke, but they still decide they'll come in and get fuel."
Meg told the Bay Post she was immensely grateful for the heroism of the three Samaritans who didn't hesitate to put themselves at risk.
"Without those three fellas, we would not have got that fire out," said Meg.
"We'd be in that paddock."
Once the situation was under control, and Meg had finished her shift, she went home to Kianga and soothed her nerves with a cleansing ale or two.
"And I enjoyed every bloody mouthful."
