Corby home biodiesel production likely cause of fire which saw residents evacuated

An incident that sparked the evacuation of residents living in parts of Corby’s East Lloyds estate is thought to have been caused by the production of biodiesel in a garden.

Residents living in streets around Westfields Road and Deene Close had been asked to evacuate their homes after a fire in a rear garden - a cordon was set up around the site.

A blaze had spread to sheds and a garage causing around 70 people to be asked to leave their houses, as four biodiesel tanks were caught in the flames.

A spokesman for Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue said: "Two appliances from Corby, and further appliances from Desborough, Rothwell and Irthlingborough were called to an address at Westfields Road in Corby at 7pm on Friday (October 15).

"Firefighters discovered a number of sheds on fire upon arrival, with the flames having spread to a nearby garage.

"Crews isolated the electric to the garage and sheds, and then helped police set up cordons at the scene. Approximately 70 people in nearby buildings were evacuated from the area after an acetylene cylinder and an oxygen cylinder were discovered at the scene, while four out of six biodiesel tanks on the scene were also involved in the fire.

"Fourteen firefighters wearing breathing apparatus helped to keep the fire under control, and after thermal imaging cameras were used to monitor the temperature of the cylinders, residents were allowed to return to their homes shortly before midnight.

"The fire service returned to the scene the following day (October 16) to carry out an after-fire inspection. Due to the extent of the fire damage no conclusive cause has been identified, but it is most likely an accidental fire caused by the overheating of chemicals during the production of biodiesel.

"We would like to thank residents for their patience during the incident while it was successfully brought under control as we worked towards making it safe for them to return to their homes."