Firefighters battled a blaze after an explosion which blew the roof off a garage in St Neots.

Two crews from the town were called to Knights Close, Eaton Socon, at 11.32am today (Friday). On arrival, they found that a single storey double garage which contained tools and materials to build model aircraft was well alight.

Four firefighters wearing breathing apparatus used hose reels, jets and hydrants to extinguish the fire by 12.23pm. One male casualty was treated by firefighters at the scene for burns, before they returned to base by 1pm. The East of England Ambulance Service confirmed that they were not called to the incident.

The cause of the fire was accidental.

Watch commander Rob Robinson said: “The garage contained a number of flammable products and a leakage of such gases contributed to the fuelling of the fire, as well as to a small explosion which blew the roof off the garage.

“Residents are reminded to be mindful of the storage of flammable products, especially when leaving them in the same place as charging electrical batteries and other electrical items. Flammable materials should always be stored according to the instructions and electrical items should be checked regularly by a qualified electrician.”