An American visitor jumped off her cycle at the Southampton Princess Hotel's cycle shop yesterday, leaving it to crash into and set a parked cycle ablaze.

The fire was extinguished before firefighters reached the scene after being called at 11.33 a.m.

Fire Service spokesman Lt. Jon Thompson said: "Reportedly a worker was instructing someone on how to ride a cycle.

"The person panicked, I guess, and got off the bike. The bike continued to travel and crashed into another parked bike.'' The parked bike was destroyed and no one was hurt during the incident, he added.

Concord Cycles president David Panchaud told The Royal Gazette that the visitor, who was a guest at the hotel, "hit something'' which ruptured the gas line.

"Our staff responded immediately and put the fire out,'' he said. "Thank goodness the guests are fine.'' Lt. Thompson said 16 firefighters in five vehicles rushed to the scene, but several minutes later a second call was received saying the fire was extinguished.

He said the response was then downgraded with only the Port Royal station responding.

An estimated $2,500 damage was caused to a Peugot auxiliary cycle which was found in flames on Curving Avenue yesterday evening.

One truck and five personnel were called to the scene around 8.30 p.m. and took three minutes to extinquish the blaze that engulfed the parked cycle.