2 Ponies sadly die in Horsebox fire on M55 today

[rockysmum]

it wasnt the fact they were cheap we did want to rescue them and like ive been saying so many times if wed got them out they would of run on the motorway and caused a crash killing themselves and people what you think you would do and what you would of actually done in that situation are 2 different things

So it was a deliberate decision not to try to get them out.

Were they not wearing headcollar/ropes

Were there enough people travelling with them to hold onto them. Would there have been enough people if there had only been two.

 

[JanetGeorge]

all horse owners in blackpool all no who this lady is transporter she has a flashy smart new 2 horse box,i seen her load horse at yards kids men woman all shoving horses in it trying to load it coz she offers a cheep service ...

Listen you stupid little TROLL - we've seen through you once already! No-one is going to take ANY notice of someone posting this sort of rubbish again - particularly when the TROLL concerned cannot spell, punctuate or use grammar!

 

[JanetGeorge]

I think people are underestimating just how quickly fire can spread. I would be pretty sure of there was any chance of safely getting the ponies out, they would have, but speaking from personal experience, fire takes over in a matter of a few minutes...

I think also people under-estimate the consequences of trying to get them out! Chances are they had lost consciousness quickly due to smoke - but otherwise they would have been crazy with fear and almost certainly 'frozen' as a result. In the unlikely event that they could have been offloaded alive, they would have likely been uncontrollable and have caused a major traffic accident - fatal to themselves and probably to innocent drivers!

The ONLY people who know the full story are those who were involved in this tragic accident - my sympathies are with them and I wish people would stop being so judgemental about this disaster! Thankfully, I've never had to deal with THIS particular type of incident - but any disaster involving horses is always particularly difficult as you can't explain the situation to the horses and get their co-operation quickly!

 

[Kenzo]

Thoughts are with all those concerned, how anyone can pass such negative judgement on the driver is beyond me, they were on a busy road with two children with a box on fire, any other actions would of made the situation more potentially dangerous.
I can only imagine how upset this poor lady was and had to make some very quick decisions in order to stop the situation getting any worse.

 

[CorvusCorax]

Yep, lots of people here prepared to put their hands on and try to enter/add oxygen to a flaming, smoking, fume-expelling, roasting hot metal box full of accelerant and highly flammable material, on a busy road, with children in tow. In theory.

My thoughts to all those involved, it must have been very traumatic, not made any easier by the thoughts of keyboard warriors and armchair experts

 

[Blanche]

Well said JG and CC . RIP ponies .

 

[lachlanandmarcus]

I think also people under-estimate the consequences of trying to get them out! Chances are they had lost consciousness quickly due to smoke - but otherwise they would have been crazy with fear and almost certainly 'frozen' as a result. In the unlikely event that they could have been offloaded alive, they would have likely been uncontrollable and have caused a major traffic accident - fatal to themselves and probably to innocent drivers!

The ONLY people who know the full story are those who were involved in this tragic accident - my sympathies are with them and I wish people would stop being so judgemental about this disaster! Thankfully, I've never had to deal with THIS particular type of incident - but any disaster involving horses is always particularly difficult as you can't explain the situation to the horses and get their co-operation quickly!

This. If they weren't already dead, opening any doors would likely have resulted in flashover with fatal consequences for the horses but also potentially to the adult and children standing nearby. Quite apart from the passing traffic risk.

 

[FionaM12]

A dreadful accident.

I think it's completely inappropriate for anyone to speculate about any aspect of it on a public forum, especially when it appears people who were involved are aware of this thread.

 

[EstherYoung]

Does make we wonder once again about these types of box conversions. What are they made of to go up so quickly. Was petrol/gas or some other accelerant the cause or are flamable materials used in the construction.

ANY horsebox has the potential to go up very quickly if it catches. They normally contain some or all of the following:
- Fuel (petrol being more flammable than diesel but they'll both burn)
- Wood
- Gas cylinders

This terrible incident has made me think though. How many of us carry fire extinguishers in our horsebox cabs? I know I haven't up to press but I will now. I don't even have one in the car - again I will now.

I did get an emergency exit fitted to my little box when we bought it so that there were two ways out in case of problems, but whether it would have even been possible to evacuate quickly enough in a situation like this I don't know. As has been previously stated, opening doors may well have fuelled the flames further.

 

[xhollyx]

So it was a deliberate decision not to try to get them out.

Were they not wearing headcollar/ropes

Were there enough people travelling with them to hold onto them. Would there have been enough people if there had only been two.

yes they were wearing head collars and lead ropes the fire was speading to quickly and opening the side
1: would of fed oxygen to the fire
2:the box was to hot
3:are you seriously that heartless to be posting these kind of comments you need to read up on fires and how quickly they spread and the smoke was hot and black and blowing out like mad there was no choice they were gone by the smoke put yourself in the situation and think if you were the driver and you had 2 younger children in the wagon that werent yours really think about and and not say what you would of done realistickly with a rapidly spreading fire and petrol in the tank it was far to dangerouse the ponies if they were still alive by then bould of wanted to run as far as possible away from the smoke horses are fight or flight and no one could of kept them calm on the hard sholder on the m55 with cars going over 70 mph they would of been hit by a car then caused a crash killing people

i think anyone wanting to post more insensitive and heartless comments should keep it to themselves and leave it at that as no one else is acting like this its immature sad and big headed funny thing is tho no one posting these comment are big enough to give their names proving your a spineless heartless big head coward that's all i have to say as you not listening maybe one day you be in a bad accident and you'll think how stupid you were for being so insensitive!

also the driver did her best to keep us safe and im so thankful for it

 

[rockysmum]

yes they were wearing head collars and lead ropes the fire was speading to quickly and opening the side
1: would of fed oxygen to the fire
2:the box was to hot
3:are you seriously that heartless to be posting these kind of comments you need to read up on fires and how quickly they spread and the smoke was hot and black and blowing out like mad there was no choice they were gone by the smoke put yourself in the situation and think if you were the driver and you had 2 younger children in the wagon that werent yours really think about and and not say what you would of done realistickly with a rapidly spreading fire and petrol in the tank it was far to dangerouse the ponies if they were still alive by then bould of wanted to run as far as possible away from the smoke horses are fight or flight and no one could of kept them calm on the hard sholder on the m55 with cars going over 70 mph they would of been hit by a car then caused a crash killing people

i think anyone wanting to post more insensitive and heartless comments should keep it to themselves and leave it at that as no one else is acting like this its immature sad and big headed funny thing is tho no one posting these comment are big enough to give their names proving your a spineless heartless big head coward that's all i have to say as you not listening maybe one day you be in a bad accident and you'll think how stupid you were for being so insensitive!

also the driver did her best to keep us safe and im so thankful for it

Oh dear, I didn't post comments, I just asked a few questions

And in any incident a lot can be learned from asking what went wrong to stop it happening to someone else

 

[YorksG]

Tbh RM your questions did indeed suggest that you were being judgemental, suggesting that more could have been done in the situation

 

[luckyoldme]

This thread shows internet forums at their worst and makes shocking reading.
Is it not enough to offer sympathies to those concerned? Is it really necessary to conduct cyber investigations into someones tradgedy based on speculation and assumptions?

Haertfelt sympathies to those involed ive seen a wagon go up in flames and know how quick it happens and how destructive these fires are.

 

[Luci07]

This thread shows internet forums at their worst and makes shocking reading.
Is it not enough to offer sympathies to those concerned? Is it really necessary to conduct cyber investigations into someones tradgedy based on speculation and assumptions?

Haertfelt sympathies to those involed ive seen a wagon go up in flames and know how quick it happens and how destructive these fires are.

It also shows the best because while there was unkind speculation, there was also clear headed and vigorous defence. When my flat went up in smoke, the firemen estimated that in less than 7 minutes my home was inaccessible for untrained people. 7 minutes. I had time to call the fire brigade, grab my bag and get out. No more.

And I too will be buying a fire extinguisher. It may not be enough, or it could buy me more time.

I, personally, would be extremely grateful if the actual posters involved would be able to share the cause of the fire or any thoughts on actions that we could take to try to make it safer for our horses.

 

[fburton]

But i no i never loose a horse in a fire i smoke and have a fag in my mouth most time when mucking out or round straw hay nets i no i shoudent but i still smoke in stables,i can understand a blow out trye or car crash but this fire is down to owner and thwem cheep horses they got from sales, Ruff owners negligent ect ect

Ect ect indeed. You write like you have a fag in your mouth most of the time. Just don't come on here looking for sympathy if your stables go up in smoke due to your disgusting, dangerous habit.

 

[fburton]

I think what we 'think' we'd do, and we'd actually do when faced with a situation like that are probably entirely different.

Quite so. Talk and sentiment (no matter how heartfelt) is cheap.

 

[fburton]

I think people are underestimating just how quickly fire can spread. I would be pretty sure of there was any chance of safely getting the ponies out, they would have, but speaking from personal experience, fire takes over in a matter of a few minutes...

Where I work we are required to attend a fire safety lecture every two years and they always show a clip of a fire in a living room. Even after multiple watchings, it is no less jaw-droppingly scary. The fire is started by a small flame on the sofa. By a minute wisps of smoke are coming off the ignited sofa, enough to trigger a smoke alarm. By two minutes smoke and hot gases are building up below the ceiling. Then, suddenly, flashover. Into the third minute, the whole room is a raging inferno that even firemen wouldn't be able to get near. That's all the time it takes. (It was made before fire-retardant furniture coverings were mandatory, but there's another clip showing essentially the same thing involving an xmas tree.)

 

[Girlracer]

What a dreadful accident, thoughts to all those involved.

I think anyone with any common sense can recognise how quickly a fire such as this would have spread, and quite how difficult unloading the ponies would of been. And even if they had of gotten them off then keeping them under control at the side of a busy motorway? Pretty difficult I would imainge. It's a terrible, tragic accident - but just that, an accident.

 

[tiga71]

You can't possibly know what you would do until you are in that awful situation.

RIP ponies.

It has also made me go and buy fire extinguishers for my little lorry.

 

[fburton]

Tbh RM your questions did indeed suggest that you were being judgemental, suggesting that more could have been done in the situation

FWIW, I read what rockysmum wrote as born more of desperation than judgmentalism. I think we would all wish we could do more in such a perilous situation, even if our options are tragically limited in practice.

Anyway, deepest sympathy to all involved.

 

[Suechoccy]

Where I work we are required to attend a fire safety lecture every two years and they always show a clip of a fire in a living room. Even after multiple watchings, it is no less jaw-droppingly scary. The fire is started by a small flame on the sofa. By a minute wisps of smoke are coming off the ignited sofa, enough to trigger a smoke alarm. By two minutes smoke and hot gases are building up below the ceiling. Then, suddenly, flashover. Into the third minute, the whole room is a raging inferno that even firemen wouldn't be able to get near. That's all the time it takes. (It was made before fire-retardant furniture coverings were mandatory, but there's another clip showing essentially the same thing involving an xmas tree.)

I've seen that video too. It is absolutely terrifying how quickly the fire takes hold, and the smoke is as much the killer as the high temperatures and flames.

My sympathies to the people involved in such a horrifying event, absolutely sickening to stand there knowing you can't do anything to save the ponies.

If we learn something from this, it's that we all buy a little fire extinguisher each tonight on the way home to keep in our lorries or our 4x4s towing trailers.

RIP little ponies.

 

[Mia&Vin]

Im so sorry to all involved, I think trolls are best ignored and just showing the stupidity have they never seen a vehicle when they really go up

 

[RunToEarth]

So it was a deliberate decision not to try to get them out.

Were they not wearing headcollar/ropes

Were there enough people travelling with them to hold onto them. Would there have been enough people if there had only been two.

I think that is completely unfair, and having been through something similar although thankfully nowhere near as tragic I can safely say that horses panicing in the face of flames will very rarely be restrained by a headcollar - they will run blind into anything, whether it is a motorway or not.

Bear in mind most horseboxes also carry flammables like camping stoves and she had two children on board FFS, stop judging.

 

[_GG_]

Too much wild speculation on this thread. If you can find nothing nice to say in the aftermath of an horrific tragedy for these ponies...say nothing at all, it simply speaks volumes of your own social an emotional failings.

The ponies, God bless them would have been overcome by smoke and notbeen concious for the whole ordeal which is a blessing of sorts. The people involved had to witness this and will only have support and masses of condolences from me.

 

[Tiffany]

Too much wild speculation on this thread. If you can find nothing nice to say in the aftermath of an horrific tragedy for these ponies...say nothing at all, it simply speaks volumes of your own social an emotional failings.

The ponies, God bless them would have been overcome by smoke and notbeen concious for the whole ordeal which is a blessing of sorts. The people involved had to witness this and will only have support and masses of condolences from me.

^^^this^^^