Tamworth families flee over fears of explosion

Apr 1 2008

RESIDENTS were evacuated from their homes amid fears a gas cylinder could explode during a fire.

Police and fire crews were called to the incident off Pennymore Road, in Stoneydelph, Tamworth, at around 8.40pm last night.

A grass fire had broken out on some land near houses causing a loose gas cylinder, which is thought to have been left laying nearby, to heat up.

Police officers immediately set up a 100m exclusion zone, meaning residents in nearby properties had to leave their homes.

A Staffordshire fire service spokeswoman said a total of six residents went to stay with nearby relatives during the night.

And she added crews were still in attendance at the scene well into the morning cooling the cylinder from a distance to ensure it was safe. The exclusion zone kept in place.

She said: "We were called following reports that a gas cylinder was on fire at around 8.40pm.

"After an hour of cooling the cylinder with jets, tests showed that the cylinder was still warm.

"A cordon of around 100 metres was established by the police and we ending up assisting six residents, who went to stay with family nearby."