Life on a Black Country street came to a halt as an acetylene gas cylinder described as being “highly dangerous and explosive” threatened to explode on a garden fire.
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Thirty people living near a terraced house at the centre of the drama in Hadley Street, Wednesbury, were evacuated and residents had to wait behind a 150-metre cordon for up to three hours, many angry at the gas cylinder being so close to homes.
“It’s very worrying,” said Jackie Jones, aged 28, sitting on the pavement with her three young children.
“We’ve been out here a long time now, the children just want to go home and my husband is working night shifts this week so he’s absolutely shattered.
“We saw all the fire engines come up and came outside to see what was happening.
“They said that if it blows it will be taking houses with it.”
Some residents living on the opposite side of the road were allowed back in at about 3pm yesterday but were told to stay at the back of their houses.
Forklift truck driver Kevin Day, from Sheldon Avenue, lives behind the house where the blaze started.
“I am very angry, of course I am, the garden is an absolute state,” said the 29-year-old.
“I work permanent nights and I was woken up when the firemen came round to evacuate us. We couldn’t believe it.
“We’ve just had to wait and wander round for hours.”
Watch commander John Wildman from Wednesbury fire station, who was leading the operation, said: “We arrived to reports of a garden fire.
“When we got here a man came running down the alley and told us he had been welding.
“There was a lot of debris - metal, plastic, air compressors.
“When I stepped forward I noticed to my left a maroon gas cylinder and he said it was acetylene.
“It was warm to touch and it doesn’t take much for it to become explosive.
“We immediately got everyone out of their homes and set up the emergency cordon.”
The owner of the house at the centre of the fire was unavailable for comment.
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