FAMILIES were forced to flee their homes in the middle of the night after a garage in Dines Green, Worcester, caught fire.

Residents in Burleigh Road and nearby streets called 999 after hearing explosions and seeing flames billowing from the garage.

Three fire engines were called to the scene and about five homes were evacuated while firefighters battled the blaze, which is believed to have been caused by a small electrical fire in a freezer in the garage at the back of a garden, which ignited gas canisters also stored in the garage.

Burleigh Road resident Thomas George said he was asleep in bed at the time and was woken by a neighbour knocking on his door to tell him his garage was on fire shortly before midnight on Tuesday.

He said his first instinct was to get his four children and their dog out of the house.

“The copper I spoke to afterwards said I was very calm but I couldn’t run around getting upset,” he said.

“I was more concerned about getting the children out.”

He said the concrete garage had been completely destroyed – along with the family’s Christmas turkey which was being stored inside the freezer – but otherwise the whole family was fine.

Neighbour Louise Griffiths said she and her husband were in bed when they heard what they thought was someone kicking a fence panel.

"My hubby got up to look out window and thought it was foggy until he saw embers flying,” she said.

"He shot downstairs and outside couldn't see for smoke.

"He ran over to wake the neighbours, whose house was close to the garage.

"There were explosions from what I believe were gas canisters.

"You couldn't see a hand in front of your face because of the smoke."

Ivona Teuchert, whose house in Hathaway Close backs on to Mr George’s, said she and her five-year-old daughter Jagoda were in bed when a neighbour woke them by knocking on their door.

“It all happened so quickly,” she said.

“We just went out in our pyjamas with blankets and my phone and that was it.

“It was quite a big shock.”

Although the rear of their home was seriously damaged in the fire, including broken windows and a melted drainpipe, Ms Teuchert said she was extremely grateful to her neighbours who had let her and Jagoda along with the firefighters who had been quick to make sure they were safe.

“I’m just really grateful to everyone,” she said.

“My neighbours are still calling me now to check we’re ok.

“The fire brigade were so quick and so gentle.

“They even asked if they could go upstairs in their boots and I said of course they could.

“That was really touching.”

She also praised housing provider Fortis Living, who were on scene yesterday, Wednesday, morning, assessing the damage to the house.

Another neighbour, Lora Cartwright, said: "I watched this from start to finish and called fire brigade.

"I'm so glad it wasn't anyone's home, but still a family has lost property. Awful."

Another neighbour, Laura Ward, said: "Families in Hathaway Close were evacuated.

"Me and my little boy had to get out."

"I was in bed and heard a loud bang. I thought it was a firework.

"Then there was another really loud bang. So I ran down stairs and went out the front of my house where some of my neighbours were and they told me that a garage had set fire and that what they believed to be gas canisters were exploding.

"The firefighters got there and told us all to move away from the houses while they dealt with it.

"As we moved away there was another explosion which was scary to see. We were let back into our after about an hour."

Jo Openshaw said: "It was fridges in the garage, not gas canisters.

"It was very scary, but thankfully nobody was hurt.

"The smoke was awful, really thick and difficult to see through.

"The fire service were fantastic. They were there within minutes of the explosion and worked very quickly to get the fire under control and everyone out to safety.

"The road was closed. There were four big fire engine that I saw, and the fire chief in a car and two police cars helping to close the road off."

Tina Walker said: "The blast almost took one of the houses in Hathaway Close with it."

Kayley Sier said: "My mum knocked her neighbours up as their house is very close to the garage.

"She was also one of the many people to ring the fire service."

Police have the go-ahead for residents to go back into their homes just after 1.10am and firefighters were on the scene until about 2.40am.

The fire is not being treated as suspicious.