A BUSY Hampshire road was closed today as firefighters continued to battle to stop gas cylinders exploding following a builder's yard fire.
Two residents of one nearby house were last night evacuated as part of a 200m exclusion zone that was thrown up around the yard off the A3090 at Bracken Lodge near Ampfield, just north of Eastleigh.
Diversions were set up overnight to direct traffic away from the A3090, a link road between Romsey and Winchester.
They are likely to remain in place until about 6pm, police said.
About 25 firefighters from Eastleigh, Romsey and Winchester were called to the blaze in a large wooden storage building at about 5.30pm. It was completely destroyed.
Two acetylene cylinders, and an unknown number of propane gas and oxygen cylinders were caught in the fire. One is thought to have exploded.
The cause of the fire is not known.
Traffic is being sent down the B3043 Hursley Road, Bournemouth Road, Templars Way and onto the A27 Botley Road or from the other direction onto Winchester Road, Alma Road, the A3057, Fishlake Meadows then Winchester Hill.
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