Ullapool firefighters praised for response to fatal fireball crash
RETAINED firefighters from Ullapool have been praised for their handling of a fireball tragedy which killed the driver of an oil tanker.
Steven Mitchell (48) from Inverness became trapped in the overturned fuel lorry after it veered off the Loch Broom stretch of the A835 road and then burst into flames.
The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service was called out to the incident at Leckmelm after 1pm on Saturday and two appliances from Ullapool were mobilised to the scene, along with the heavy rescue unit and foam tender from Inverness.
Group manager Fraser Nixon, who was at the scene, said: "The first appliance in attendance from Ullapool did a remarkable job when faced with a highly challenging incident involving a fuel lorry on its side, a trapped casualty, a fuel leak and a well-developed fire not only in the vehicle but in the surrounding area.
"They worked incredibly hard to ensure the fire did not spread to other parts of the vehicle which could have escalated the incident significantly.
"Tragically the driver of the lorry died, but the crews from Ullapool and Inverness, under the guidance of Incident Commander Station Manager Alex McKinley, worked tirelessly in treacherous conditions to deal with the incident.
"SFRS personnel worked alongside our partners from Police Scotland and the Scottish Ambulance Service throughout the incident and ensured that any impact on the environment was considered through consultation with SEPA representatives.
"The commitment, determination and fortitude demonstrated by all SFRS personnel at this tragic incident is a credit to themselves and their units."
Police have appealed for witnesses who haven’t already made themselves known to police to contact officers on 101.