The extreme dangers of setting light to aerosol cans have been highlighted after firefighters were called to a park in Devon following reports of a ‘massive explosion’ and fire. The incident took place yesterday evening, July 6, in a park near St Martin’s in Cranbrook.

Anita Merritt www.devonlive.com 

A local resident told on the town’s community Facebook page that they had seen ‘careless and thoughtless’ teenagers lighting aerosol cans and that it was lucky no one had been injured.

The post published yesterday read: “I am beyond shocked! I am a little bit shaken up that careless and thoughtless acts of a few kids could have easily taken someone’s life or injured someone badly.

“They set light to some aerosols in the big park near St Martin’s and it set fire to the play equipment which then created a massive explosion. Luckily, no one was close enough to be caught in the explosion.

“I called the fire brigade and it is all safe now. But somehow, someway, these kids need to know it’s not okay.

“I am not here to point fingers and blame the parents, but these kids need a lesson or they will end up killing someone and in jail. This has gone past the point of kids being kids!”

A spokesperson for Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service said: “We were called at around 6.10pm and one crew from Middlemoor attended to extinguish a small fire involving wooden playground equipment with a portable water spray unit.

“We would like to remind everyone that products contained in aerosol cans are often extremely flammable. If the containers are subjected to higher temperatures they can explode, which can be extremely dangerous.

“They should not be left in sunlight or exposed to high temperatures. They should not be pierced or burned, even after use.”