FIREFIGHTERS were unable to reach a blaze this week when parked cars blocked a Pontypool street.

Crews from Cwmbran and New Inn were called to a kitchen fire at Grove Place, Griffithstown, but fire engines were unable to make it down the street due to double parking.

After arriving at 6.55pm on Thursday, crews were forced to approach the property carrying equipment on foot.

Sarah Jane Roberts, of Grove Place, said the parking problems could have put her and her daughters, 11-year-old Danni and seven-year-old Erica, in serious danger had the fire been worse.

“I got home from work and turned my oven on and the whole thing was on fire," she said.

"I ran outside and was standing watching the smoke come through my door.

“A car was parked awkwardly on the street blocking the way and they [firefighters] had to come down the street at that point with equipment."

A fire engine is typically 2.8m wide and 7.5m long, the equivalent of a HGV lorry trying to get access to the street. 

Ms Roberts added: “If we had been trapped upstairs and they couldn’t get down they would have had to barge the cars out of the way.

“After it happened I started thinking about the ‘what ifs’. It left me feeling really sick."

Station commander at New Inn Fire Station, Stuart Townsend, confirmed there are “access issues” when attending incidents.

He said: “We work closely with partners and members of the public in our local communities to ensure that we all stay safe on our roads and this includes parking.

“If local residents could think about the room they leave when parking their vehicle [...] it just means that this reduces the risk of damage to their vehicle due to emergency services having to squeeze through or that we are delayed in attending an emergency which puts lives at risk.”