SEVERAL homes in the eastern end of Okehampton town centre were evacuated last Friday after a fire at a garage workshop in East Street.
Firecrews from Okehampton and Hatherleigh were called to the incident at 4.45pm.
Firefighters arrived at the scene to find the two-floor detached building well alight, and were concerned as some gas cylinders and a small quantity of petrol were contained in it.
Okehampton fire station officer Ian Donovan said: ?On arrival, the ground floor was well alight and the first floor was heavily smoke-logged.?
He said the fire had begun to ignite the fascia and guttering of an adjoining property, and the decision was taking to evacuate people nearby due to the risk of the fire spreading.
Police evacuated residents from properties in East Street, Victoria Street and Exeter Road, within a 400-metre radius of the fire.
Patients also had to be stopped from entering the Medical Centre in East Street during the firefighting operation, although the building itself was far enough away from the blaze that it did not have to be evacuated.
Station officer Donovan said the fire was quickly brought under control with the use of four hose reels and four sets of breathing apparatus. He paid tribute to the firefighters for extinguishing the fire so quickly.
?The conditions were punishing because of the heat and the thick black smoke,? he said.
Although the fire was soon put out, extensive checks to make sure the area was totally safe had to be made by firefighters.
Residents who had been evacuated were able to return to their homes around an hour later.
A man was treated for smoke inhalation at the scene but did not need to be taken to hospital. Nobody else was injured in the incident.