Lucky escape from car blaze in Inverness
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A MUM and her two children had a narrow escape when her car burst into flames just moments after she stepped out of it.
Laura Bernardi, who works for NHS Highland, had just finished work and was heading home to Cradlehall Park to collect her children for a hospital appointment when she noticed smoke coming out of the car’s glove compartment.
She alerted her partner Joe Mooney and they phoned the fire service before the nine-year-old BMW burst into flames at about 3.45pm on Tuesday.
Ms Bernardi said: “If it had been two minutes later, I would have been in the car with two children and I cannot bear to think what might have happened.
“There was no warning. We have just had the car in the garage for a service. I think it was probably an electrical fault.
“We phoned for the fire brigade and the car just went up in flames. They arrived in a few minutes, but the car had burned out in that time.
“I haven’t driven the car for a few weeks, and this was my first day of using it again.”
Inverness South councillor Duncan Macpherson said: “Laura had a lucky escape. I’m just glad that no-one was injured. Cars can always be replaced through your insurance policy, people can’t.”
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