Video: Fire damages Sir Robert McAlpine's £350m Bath project

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A large fire broke out at a £350 million retail development being built by Sir Robert McAlpine in Bath last night.

Flames were said to be more than 15m high when the blaze broke out late yesterday at the SouthGate development site in Bath, Somerset.

About 250 people were evacuated from their homes after the fire detonated several gas canisters. Up to 10 canisters remained in a potentially dangerous state overnight and people living in nine streets within a 150 metre exclusion zone were moved to safe havens.

Last night police could not guarantee that residents would be allowed back home this morning.

The cylinders ignited after fire broke out on the third - and highest - storey of Block B just before 5pm.

The inferno at the development which will eventually boast 56 shops such as H&M, began when a tar heater used for asphalting caught light.

Five fire engines were sent to the scene and the incident cause disruption to surrounding roads and train services travelling through Bath Spa train station, which was temporarily closed.

Avon Fire and Rescue service spokesman James Bladon said the fire was extinguished within an hour but cylinders in the building needed cooling with jets throughout the night.

Mr Bladon said yesterday: "We are now just dealing with a cylinder incident and the standard 150 metre exclusion zone has been put around the site.

"The fire involved a bitumen heater - basically a tar heater - on the third floor which spread to the cylinders. We are now using cool jets to dampen down the cylinders. Three engines will remain overnight.

"Cosmetically, there hasn't been any sort of mass explosions outside the building site. They were all within the building.

"Structurally there are no concerns for the building."

The Health and Safety executive have been informed.

The fire did not spread beyond the shell of the block, which is under construction, and did not affect other parts of the development.

Immediately after the explosions, staff were seen running from a branch of Halifax and a nearby McDonald's was also cleared as a plume of smoke hung above the historic Spa town.

The development had its topping out ceremony last week. It is not known how much damage has been caused, as it is not yet safe for firefighters to enter the building.

Work on the 40,000 sq m development began last year and it was hoped the first shops would begin to open as early as 2009.