MORE than 90 people were evacauted from their homes in Nursery Road, High Brooms, Tunbridge Wells, last night after fears that a blaze in nearby garages could set off an explosion.

The alarm was raised just after 5pm and 50 firefighters attended the scene. They found gas cylinders stored in a building close to the fire, and immediately set about clearing the area.

Police led homeowners to safety and set up an exclusion zone around the site. After dousing the blaze, firefighters spent the night cooling the gas cylinders, believed to contain acetylene.

Investigations into the cause of the fire were continuing this morning. People who spent the night in an emergency centre are not expected to be allowed back into their homes until later today,