FAMILIES evacuated after a fire in Stroud have been allowed to return to their homes.

Residents were forced to leave their houses in Chestnut Lane after a huge fire broke out in Stroud at 6.10pm on Friday.

The exclusion zone was lifted at midnight.

More than 40 firefighters tackled the blaze in units behind the former Wycliffe garage site in Chestnut Lane, Cainscross.

Crews from Stroud, Gloucester, Dursley and Chipping Campden were called to the scene.

Around 38 houses within 200 metres of the site were evacuated over fears about volatile gas being stored on the premises.

Chestnut Lane resident Hayley Jones, 33, said: "They told us to turn the lights off and get out so we left. We only managed to get a bag of things together for our dog.

"We don't know when we'll be able to go back."

Some residents were taken to an emergency shelter which was set up at Stroud Leisure Centre.

Roads around the area, including Caincross Road, remained closed at 9pm as the blaze continued.

Thick black smoke could be seen over Stroud and explosions from acetylene cylinders stored in the units were heard across the Five Valleys.

It is believed the fire may have started in a building which was being used for a car valet and repairs.

Flames could be seen rising through the roof of the building several hours after the blaze began.

Eyewitness Ashley Powell, 31, from Cainscross Road, said: "I have been down here since 6.20pm when the fire engines first arrived. About five or six appliances turned up and one ambulance. There were some really loud explosions – I could hear a few bangs. All the units I can see are completely gutted. The flames are higher than a house. There is quite a lot of smoke.

"When it first started black smoke was coming across the area all the way to the local Tesco – that's about a mile away."

Simon McMillan, group manager for Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service, said: "When we arrived at the scene firefighters found a well developed fire in a range of industrial units.

"It soon became apparent that acetylene cylinders were involved which are a major explosion hazard so we put measures in place and evacuated the area."

Organisers of the Stroud Half Marathon say the event will still go ahead on Sunday.

Chris Brown said: “The closure shouldn’t affect the half marathon as we start from Marling School and run in the opposite direction towards Tricorn House.

“It might affect the junior Silver Mile as they run along Cainscross Road. I’m hoping it will be open, because the only other way we could do it would be to send them in the same direction as the half marathon runners, which may put us under a bit of pressure.”

Readers have submitted these videos taken of the fire, capturing some of the explosions that rocked the Stroud area;

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