PART of Cricklade Road was closed after a garden fence caught fire.

Firefighters were called to tackle the blaze, near Gorse Hill, to stop it spreading further after it reached garages which contained gas cylinders.

One of the main concerns for the fire service was about what had been left in the garages because normally flammable toxins are very commonly found.

Six crews from across the town were called to the incident at around 11.20am on Saturday after the fence caught light, and flames spread towards the garages, several nearby workshops and a caravan.

It took only three minutes from when the call was made for the fire trucks to arrive at the location.

The officers had to use six breathing apparatus and three main lines while at the scene.

Police officers continued to make sure the roads were blocked to stop vehicles from passing through.

The cause of the fire is believed to be accidental and is not being treated as suspicious.

Carl Maisey, who lives on Cricklade Road, said: “It was a bizarre situation because we didn’t really know what was going on.

“You could see black smoke in the air, but you couldn’t have comprehended that it was as serious as it turned out to be.

“To be honest it was only when you could hear the sirens that it made you pay attention.”

He added: “The road was completely cordoned off for a few hours and it was one of those situations where it could have been devastating had the cylinders caught fire.

“Thankfully the emergency services reacted quickly.”

The road was reopened at 2pm after all items had been removed from the site and the scene was declared safe. There was no further damage to the area and the fire was brought under control before it could reach houses and businesses.

Damien Bence, officer at the scene for Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service, said: “The fire was started accidentally but due to the heat and dry conditions it spread a lot quicker than normal.

“Our main concern was what hazardous items are in the garages as this was unknown to us - we managed to locate three gas cylinders and removed them before they could overheat and explode.

“The speed of response to this call has resulted in this incident not being a lot worse than what it could have been.

“We urge anyone who is thinking of having a bonfire to go to a recycling centre instead or have the right means to extinguish the fire before doing it.”