FIREFIGHTERS will spend the day cooling gas cylinders on a Hampshire industrial estate to prevent a potentially devastating explosion.

Twenty businesses remained closed today after last night's fire at Leading Leadwork Ltd's workshop in Botley Road, Hedge End.

Emergency services initially set up a 200 metre exclusion zone round the incident at 10pm when they arrived to find acetylene cycliners in the fire, causing an explosion risk.

This has now been reduced to a 50 meter cordon between Botley Road and the Hedge End Council Depot on Charles Watts Way, including the Solent Business Estate, that will remain in place until 1am Saturday morning.

There was an initial fear that the fire would spread causing the cylinders to explode resulting in an evacuation of residents living near by but the crews were able to contain the flames.

Firefighters arrived and confirmed that a number of acetylene cylinders were present in the metal single-storey structure along with propane, butane and calor cylinders and at least 240 litres of diesel.

Due to the highly volatile nature of these cylinders and the risk of explosion, police established a 200 metre exclusion zone around the site.

In total 65 firefighters spent seven hours getting the fire under control and now they will spend the next 24 hours showering the 14 cylinders to prevent an explosion.

The cause of the fire is still unknown as fire investigation teams will not be able to get into the site and start their inquiries until after 1am tomorrow morning.

All 20 businesses within the cordon will be closed throughout the day and employees working on this estate are asked to contact their employers before setting out for work.

Officer in charge, group manager Dave Norgate, said: "Our crews have managed to contain the fire and bring it to a successful conclusion. It is still too early to say what has caused the fire.

"This incident highlights the disruptive nature of a fire involving acetylene cylinders.

"Acetylene is an extremely flammable gas and when there is a fire it means a disruption to businesses, a disruption to people's lives, and also a lengthy disruption to the fire and rescue service with firefighters having to monitor any unexploded cylinders for up to 24 hours.

"But these disruptions can be avoided as there are alternatives to using acetylene and we support the use of alternatives."