Fears that gas cylinders stored in a shed that caught fire in March today might explode, led to neighbours being evacuated.
The blaze broke out at 9.25am in Church Street in March near to St Wendreda’s and more than 40 firefighters were called in to help.
They included crews from March, Chatteris, Wisbech, Ramsey, Dogsthorpe, Huntingdon, St Neots and Cambridge, including a water carrier, the north roaming fire engine and the specialist Multistar aerial appliance, attended the scene.
A fire service spokesman said: “We arrived to find a well-developed fire involving a shed, which contained cylinders that was spreading to nearby houses.
“Crews worked hard to contain the fire to stop it from spreading to further properties while also ensuring the cylinders were cooled and removed from the area.”
The spokesman said residents in the immediate area were evacuated from their homes as a precaution and road closures put in place.
Crews remained at the scene for sometime tackling the fire.
“The structure of the building has compromised as a result of fire damage, so firefighters are extinguishing the fire from the outside and damping down the surrounding area,” said a spokesman.
By 5pm the fire service said most of their work had been completed and they were leaving the scene. However they will re-inspect it later tonight.
The spokesman added: “An investigation into the cause of the fire will begin once the structure of the building has been confirmed as safe to enter.”
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