Pantside house fire: Neighbours recall horrific incident

South Wales Fire and Rescue Service (SWFRS) were called to a property in Claremont Road, Pantside, near Newbridge, in the afternoon of Wednesday, March 13 to deal with an electric fire. 

Multiple crews attended the scene, which left the property inhabitable and the family forced to find alternative accommodation. 

A statement from SWFRS sent to the Argus said: "At approximately 16:32pm on Wednesday 13th March 2024, multiple crews from South Wales Fire and Rescue Service were called to an incident at Claremont Road, Pantside to extinguish a domestic fire caused by an electric bike battery. 

"Eight breathing apparatus, two hose reel jets, one safety jet, and one positive pressure ventilation were used to tackle the fire.

"Stop message was received at 18:08pm."

The fire happened in Claremont Road in Pantside (Image: Newsquest)

Neighbours in Claremont Road have recalled that "horrific" evening. 

One neighbour who wished to remain anonymous, said they had been terrified at the way the flames had quickly engulfed the property. 

They said: "I remember we could hear a popping sound coming from the house, and at first we just assumed it was one of the children playing a game or something. 

"It wasn't until we saw the flames engulfing the house and the family rushing out that we realised what exactly had happened, and it was completely terrifying.

"The flames just took everything, it was horrible to watch.

"It was just awful what happened - I remember realising it was coming from one of those electric bikes, and we had to tell the family not to use water on an electric fire, especially when the house was already going up in flames."

The fire damage to the property can be seen from outside including smashed windows and smoke damage (Image: Newsquest)

Other properties on the road have been left with a significant impact from the fire, including large amounts of black smoke that have wafted into the houses nearby, leaving them dirty, covered in black marks and stinking of burnt items. 

The neighbour said: "We didn't really speak to the parents, but we did talk to the children now and again, and they were sweet. We know the family had dogs as well, so we were just really glad everyone got out okay.

"I was relieved to see how quickly the fire service arrived - within minutes of seeing the flames in the house, I think about three engines arrived and there were dozens of firefighters trying to stop the blaze."

Another neighbour who remembered seeing the fire engines arriving on the night shared that "smoke was billowing" out of the property. 

He said: "I just remember thinking how awful it was. I didn't know the family all that well, but it was terrible to see their home go up in flames like that.

"I've never seen anything quite like it, and I'm just relieved that the family are alright." 

The house has been left as a burnt out shell, with smashed windows where firefighters had tried to get it under control. 

Even a week later, there is still a distinct smell of burning from halfway down the road, and the state the house is in doesn't leave much to the imagination of how bad the fire was. 

As a result of the fire, SWFRS issued a warning about the dangers of electric bikes, e-scooters and their batteries, offering safety tips for the public to be aware of if they use any of these.