A major incident was declared in Workington as firefighters tackle a shed blaze.
Cumbria Fire & Rescue Service were called to the shed on Bolton Street at around 5.30pm yesterday, September 8.
The shed contained two highly flammable gas cylinders.
A 100 metre cordon was put in place and homes within that zone were evacuated as a precaution.
A reception centre for the evacuated was opened at the Carnegie Theatre on Finkle Street.
People were allowed back into their homes in the early hours of today, September 9.
Following the successful extinguishing of the fire and continuous careful assessment of the cylinders, Cumbria police said, the area was made safe.
The major incident declared by Cumbria Fire & Rescue Service was officially stood down just after midnight.
Most people who were evacuated attended the homes of their friends and families, with only a small number of people accessing the reception centre.
A wider 200m cordon was also established to prevent people from arriving at the scene and allow Cumbria Fire & Rescue Service to tackle the fire without disruption.
Those within the outer cordon were advised to remain where they were and to close windows and doors.
There were no reported injuries.
Superintendent Sarah Jones, Cumbria Constabulary, chaired the strategic co-ordination group which co-ordinated the response to the incident.
She said: “I would firstly like to thank all residents who were evacuated from their homes for their patience and support. Although it is not ideal to remove people from their homes, it was deemed a necessary precaution.
“A major incident was declared to effectively coordinate the response of various agencies.
“Our main priority throughout this response was to ensure the safety of all residents. Together agencies worked at pace to successfully achieve this.
“We are pleased to confirm that Cumbria Fire & Rescue Service have assessed it is now safe to remove both cordons and residents can now to return to their homes.”
Stuart Hook, area manager at Cumbria Fire & Rescue Service, said: “This was a significant response with our crews working tirelessly to safely resolve this incident and keep people safe.
“Assessments have been conducted on both cylinders, following the extinguishment of the fire, and we can confirm that the area is now safe for people to return home.
“This was a complex fire to deal with, and I would like to thank the wider public for allowing our teams to carry out their work without additional disruption.”
