Homes evacuated in Northamptonshire village for several hours as firefighters dealt with shed blaze

Homes in a Northamptonshire village were evacuated for several hours on Wednesday (May 17) after a shed fire involving gas cylinders.

High Street in Whittlebury was closed from just before 3pm after reports a shed was alight and gas cylinders were present. Homes nearby were evacuated while the incident was dealt with.

Northamptonshire Fire & Rescue Service (NFRS) tweeted at just before 7pm on Wednesday: “Following an incident earlier today, we can confirm that High Street in Whittlebury will be re-opened shortly.

“The road was closed while we dealt with a shed fire, where it was discovered that a number of gas cylinders were also present.

“As a precaution, a cordon was put in place and a number of premises were evacuated.

“Having monitored the incident throughout the afternoon, the gas cylinders are now at a cool enough temperature for residents to be able to safely return to their homes.

“The incident is being scaled back, but a fire engine from Towcester will remain on scene for a little while to ensure that some small pockets of fire are extinguished and damped down.”

Station Manager Chris Maher added: “The hard work of our crews and partner agencies mean we have been able to scale this incident back now.

"We would like to thank the residents of Whittlebury for their co-operation and help, which has been most appreciated. We also want to thank them for their patience and understanding as we worked to make the scene safe throughout the afternoon.”

Today (Thursday May 18), a NFRS spokeswoman said the fire is “believed to have been started accidentally”.