An exclusion has been set up in south Birmingham after acetylene cylinders were discovered in a garden shed which had been engulfed with fire.
Police and West Midlands Fire Brigade immediately set up a 200 metre exclusion zone around a property in Thurlestone Road in Longbridge when they discovered the potentially-explosive cylinders after being called out for the blaze at 4.30am.
The exclusion zone has seen 50 homes being evacuated and about 100 people were given temporary shelter at nearby Culmington Community Centre on Culmington Road.
Fire Service spokesman Jim Synott said the exclusion zone was set up because of the “unstable and unpredictable nature” of the chemical contained in the cylinder.
He added: “Specialist officers will be reviewing the situation over the next 24 hours.”
