Forty fire fighters tackle March home blaze as neighbours are evacuated

A home in March was completely destroyed in a blaze which started in a shed yesterday morning and led to nearby residents being evacuated with fears gas cylinders might explode.

More than 40 firefighters were called to the incident at around 9.25am on Sunday, including 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.

Firefighters arrived, at the scene in Church Street, 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.

Residents in the immediate area were been evacuated from their homes with the first the Neale-Wade Academy and then March Community Centre opening to offer temporary accommodation, as a precaution and road closures were in place throughout the day.

Crews remained at the scene tackling the fire for over six hours. The structure of the building was compromised as a result of fire damage, so firefighters were forced to extinguishing the fire from the outside and damping down the surrounding area.

The fire was finally out by 4.45pm and crews left the scene. However, they returned later in the evening for a re-inspection as a precautionary measure.

An investigation into the cause of the fire will begin once the structure of the building has been confirmed as safe to enter.