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Devastation of Buncefield captured by firefighter

Danny FullbrookBedfordshire, Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire
News imageDavid Humphreys A firefighter stands in front of a large industrial fire. Behind the firefighter, two white storage tanks are partially engulfed in flames.David Humphreys
News imageDavid Humphreys Large industrial fire with orange flames and black smoke engulfing white storage tanks behind a chain-link fence. Surrounding trees and bushes are brown and dries out,David Humphreys
Former firefighter David Humphreys said: "Over my time in the fire brigade I'd taken part in many training exercises at the Buncefield site, but nothing could prepare me for the scene of total devastation that I saw on that first morning."
"The initial work involved searching the immediate area, and the wider industrial estate for casualties whilst attempting to prevent the fire from spreading", he said.

A firefighter has recalled the "total devastation" he witnessed when he arrived at the site of the Buncefield oil depot shortly after it exploded in December 2005.

David Humphreys, now retired, was one of the first people in the emergency services to arrive at the scene and took photos over the days the teams spent battling the blaze.

He had taken part in several training exercises at the Buncefield site during his career and noted that the "fire service response was incredible".

No one was killed or seriously injured in the incident, which has been called the largest explosion in peacetime Europe.

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