A VEHICLE with a gas cylinder inside went up in flames due to an electrical fault, fire chiefs have said.

North Wales Fire and Rescue Service received a call at 4.15pm yesterday (Friday) reporting a blaze involving a car in Halkyn Road, Pentre Halkyn.

Two crews attended the scene – one each from Mold and Buckley – and used a pair of hose reel jets, a set of breathing apparatus and a thermal imaging camera.

A spokesman for the fire and rescue service told the Leader the car had been carrying a gas cylinder and the blaze, which started because of an electrical failure, caused 100 per cent fire damage to the vehicle. Nobody was injured, the spokesman added.

An eyewitness told the Leader: “As I was driving to Pentre Halkyn I noticed black smoke rising - which turned out to be a car fire.

"I stopped to talk to some residents and there were several loud bangs. As we were talking the car exploded.”

Firefighters also attended a gorse fire on the back road near Bryn Mawr Quarry in Pentre Halkyn less than an hour earlier.

One crew from Mold attended the scene and used a hose reel jet to tackle the blaze – which involved about 300 square metres of grass, gorse and bracken.

The cause was believed to be accidental.

A man who saw the gorse fire, who did not want to be named, told the Leader: “I was driving home down the Brynford Road and my car was getting covered ash and smoke. I pulled over and then a fire engine turned up.

“The flames were 12 feet in the air and I had to stay in the car to avoid the smoke and ash.”