Centre blaze evacuees return home

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Exploding cylinders caused 50ft-high flames on the site of the £360 million SouthGate development, in Bath, Somerset, on Tuesday evening.

Up to 10 canisters remained in a potentially dangerous state overnight and people living in nine streets within the 150-metre exclusion zone were sent to shelter.

The exclusion zone was scaled back on Wednesday morning and later surrounded just the building site, which is due to house 56 shops by 2009.

Most of the 250 displaced residents have now returned to their properties, Bath and North East Somerset Council confirmed.

Avon Fire and Rescue Service Spokesman James Bladon said on Wednesday morning: "The cordon was cut back after a meeting between the council, police and us. During the night there were three crews in attendance, getting plenty of water on the remaining cylinders to cool them sufficiently."

The canisters ignited after fire broke out on the third - and highest - storey of Block B just before 5pm. The building which is still under construction escaped any structural damage.

The inferno at the flagship development began when a tar heater used for asphalting failed and caught light.

A spokesperson from Multi Development UK Ltd, which is behind the project, said: "Although the precise cause is not yet fully understood, it is believed the fire was due to a failure of an asphalt heater, which leaked hot asphalt, causing gas bottles to explode.

"Sir Robert McAlpine's emergency site procedures were initiated quickly and efficiently and the site was evacuated immediately."