LILLE - A fire broke out on a car-transporter shuttle at the British terminal of the Channel tunnel at Cheriton, near Folkestone, yesterday, the tunnel operators said. The fire was small and was quickly extinguished, Eurotunnel said, adding that it was probably caused by a short circuit. Eurotunnel said the fire on one of the wagons was doused in less than 30 minutes and that the shuttle was empty at the time, adding that it was a relief shuttle. Relief shuttles are maintained at each end of the tunnel to carry out evacuations in case of an incident.