Fire sparks evacuation

Homes were evacuated in Norton Canes after fire broke out in a workshop containing potentially explosive gas cylinders.

Emergency services cordoned off parts of Brownhills Road, Railway Street and Poplar Street when the blaze broke out in an outbuilding in the garden of a house on Brownhills Road at around 12.50pm yesterday afternoon.

Fire crews rushed to the scene and quickly brought the blaze under control, but acetylene cylinders in the workshop were in danger of exploding.

Firefighters sprayed cooling jets on to the cylinders – used for metal cutting and welding – to try and bring the temperature down.

Residents were evacuated from 25 homes close to the outbuilding to the nearby community centre, where a rest centre had been set up. People living on the opposite side of Brownhills Road were allowed to stay in their homes, but advised by firefighters to stick to the back of their properties.

Sergeant Jim Hooper, of Staffordshire Police, said last night's cold temperatures meant the cylinders did not need as long to cool as first expected so families were able to return home.

But families living in the two houses either side of the fire would not be able to return until 1pm this afternoon, they were told.

Fire crew commander Phil McFarlane said: "Luckily in this case the person knew about the danger of the cylinders and told us they were there, so we had that crucial information at the beginning."

The cause of the fire has not yet been established, but is not thought to be suspicious. All roads were re-opened by this morning and just one fire engine remained at the scene.