TROOPS were out in Gwent yesterday as the eight-day fire-fighters' strike got under way. A Green Goddess was called to a house in Pontypool after an oven exploded.

Gaynor Phillips, aged 31, of Prince Street, Tranch, was cooking her five-year-old son James a pizza when flames shot out from her cooker at around 3.30pm.

"I threw a wet tea-towel on the oven and called 999," Mrs Phillips said. "A Green Goddess was here within ten minutes - I couldn't believe it because I thought they were supposed to be really slow."

Her neighbour Alice Tucker had seen smoke coming from the house and rushed over to help. She put out most of the fire by throwing a jug of water over the flames.

Mrs Phillips said: "When the Green Goddess arrived there wasn't much for them to do, but they didn't mind. They were marvellous."

A Green Goddess and a breathing appartus rescue team (BART) vehicle were also called to a fire in Hamp-shire Avenue, Newport, at 5.40pm, but it turned out to be a domestic bonfire.

Troops were again called out just after 6pm to a road traffic accident in Bryn-mawr, but were not needed.

Elsewhere in the UK: l In West Bromwich, six soldiers were hurt tackling a massive fire at a disused plastics factory after receiving a call at about 2.15pm.

The blaze destroyed the heart of the factory and about 60 soldiers in five red fire engines and 13 Green Goddesses fought for several hours to bring the fire under control.

l Firefighters came off their picket lines to help army fire crews deal with a nine-car pile-up on the A1 at Wallyford, near Edinburgh. One fire crew from Lothian and Borders went to the scene to cut free a man who was trapped in his car.

l A striking fireman at Gorton Fire Station in Manchester was shot with an air rifle as he manned a picket line. He suffered slight bruising to his back but did not require hospital treatment.

PICTURE: A Green Goddess in Prince Street, Pontypool, last night, where the fire broke out in a kitchen