Hundreds of people evacuated after a dangerous fire broke out in Co Down were today still being kept away from their homes.
They were forced to move out after the blaze broke out at a garage workshop close to gas cylinders in Millisle, Co Down.
Emergency services set up an exclusion zone as soon as they moved in to the scene on Main Street last night. Residents left their homes and were put up for the night at a nearby church hall.
Fire chiefs warned it could take 24 hours for the area to be declared safe.
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Assistant Group Commander David Patten insisted the intense heat so close to the cylinders had been too great a risk to the public. He said: "It would probably cause an explosion if it wasn't cooled down with spray jets of water."
PA