A CAR fire could have spread to a nearby vacant pub if it hadn’t been caught in time, firefighters have said.

Neighbours called 999 after noticing a red Nissan Micra was alight in the grounds of the Braithwaite Tavern pub in Braithwaite Avenue, Keighley, at around 4am today.

Keighley fire station crew commander David Knox said: “It was parked about five metres away from the building so it was a real possibility it could have spread, but we got there in time and were able to stop it.”

He praised the vigilance of the nearby residents who raised the alarm, saying: “It was a neighbour who had heard an explosion or noise. Cars make a lot of banging when they are so badly involved in fire.

“Fortunately, they phoned 999 so we were able to get there quite quickly and deal with the fire and stop it spreading to the pub.

“It took 20 to 30 minutes to put out. We put a full tank of water on it – about 1,000 litres of water. That puts it out fairly rapidly.”

The cause of the fire is now under investigation.