THIS is the horrifying moment that mum-of-four Lisa Taperek’s Vauxhall Zafira went up in flames just moments after rescuing her baby son from the back seat.

Lisa, 32, of Princess Gardens in Royal Wootton Bassett, was on her way to collect mother Caroline Taperek before picking up six-year-old daughter Natasha from school for a hospital appointment using the 2007 Zafira B which she bought second-hand earlier this year.

But when she pulled into Caroline’s driveway just around the corner on Queen’s Road they realised that something was wrong with the car when it started to fill with smoke from the engine bay.

Lisa said: “I was faffing about in my bag while she walked down the drive to the car, and when she opened up the door she said why is the car smoking? I hadn’t even noticed it.

"I got out and popped the bonnet, and by this time the smoke was just pouring in and Mum said ‘just get the baby out’.”

“We got out on to the driveway and no sooner had we walked into the house to call the fire brigade it was up in flames. That is how quick it took hold.

“If I had left my son Kinsley in the car to go in and get my mum or quickly used the toilet they would have had a death on their hands.”

Ten-month-old Kinsley escaped unharmed, but his new Ferrari car seat - bought at a cost of around £100 recently - went up in smoke, along with Lisa’s sat-nav, the car’s leather interior and other personal belongings.

She said: “When I spoke to the recovery team they asked if there was anything I wanted to get out of it before it was taken away, but there was just nothing left, it’s just a shell.”

One fire crew from Royal Wootton Bassett attended the fire at around 10.20am and remained there for about an hour.

The fire comes after around 150 other owners of the second generation Zafira reported their cars had been engulfed by flames, in what Vauxhall believes to be a fault in the heating and ventilation system.

A group on Facebook called 'Vauxhall Zafira car fires' now has more than 11,000 members. BBC Watchdog also ran an investigation into the matter after a group of mums from the south west joined forces to highlight their ordeals.

But Lisa said she hadn’t heard anything of the fault.

“I have been completely oblivious to it, everyone has asked me if I had seen it on Watchdog and that it has been all over the news, but I hadn’t," she said.

"At the time the heater was just on level one at the time, just to clear the windscreen, and we only drove around the corner. I have had no other trouble with the car at all.

“If I had left Kinsley in a little bit longer, the smoke was pouring in really fast – it doesn’t bear thinking about.”

A spokesman for Vauxhall confirmed they were carrying out an investigation following reports of fire in the area of the heating and ventilation system in a number of Vauxhall Zafira B models launched in 2005.

He added: “While the number of incidents is very low in proportion to the number of vehicles on the road, we take this issue very seriously and will take further action.

“The safety of our customers is the number one priority. Our investigations have found that a number of incidents have occurred due to previous repairs being performed improperly or using certain non-genuine parts.”

Owners of the current generation Zafira are not thought to be affected by the problem.

Vauxhall has issued the following safety advice to Zafira B owners: “If you are concerned about operating your vehicle or if you notice any unusual characteristics with the heating and ventilation system - for example a squeaking noise from the dashboard - you should contact your Vauxhall dealer and arrange for your vehicle to be inspected.

“This will be done at no cost. Vauxhall will consider further actions as appropriate.”

Vauxhall has posted safety information for Zafira B owners here

Vauxhall has a dealership in Swindon at Skurrays on Langley Road in Hillmead. They can be reached on 01793 222407.

The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald:

The aftermath of the blaze in Royal Wootton Bassett

The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald: