Community 'shock' as businesses hit by large blaze

A blaze was reported on Hayes Lane, in the Lye area of Stourbridge

A large fire burned at a number of commercial properties in Stourbridge on Saturday evening, leaving one business owner in "panic" and nearby residents "shocked" amid the sound of explosions and an interrupted power supply.

Ten crews attended the scene on Hayes Lane in Lye, working through the night to extinguish the flames, with four crews remaining on Sunday to monitor for hotspots.

West Midlands Fire Service said investigations into the cause of the blaze, which had affected several businesses, were under way.

Ajmal Waheed and Asim Mehmood, owners of Lye Tyres, one of the business premises involved, told the BBC they were "heartbroken".

Mr Mehmood said he was busy with a customer when he heard some "crazy noises" outside.

He said an adjacent property had a "massive fire" and they left the premises quickly.

"I was panicking, it was a very bad feeling at the time," he said.

The fire service said there had been no casualties or injuries linked to the incident which was reported to the control room at about 17:45 GMT.

Tracy and Ray Cox praised the quick action of the firefighters and said the blaze escalated quickly

Ray and Tracy Cox, who live nearby, said it was "a shock" for the community and they felt sadness for the owners of the small businesses affected.

Mrs Cox said she was alerted by her son who spotted the fire from their living room window. She said she saw "flames roaring" from a fishing tackle shop.

She added there were several explosions and the situation "was just getting worse and worse".

Praising the fire service, she said she saw "fire engine after fire engine arriving" to get the blaze under control.

Investigations into the cause of the fire are under way

Steve Barrett, a great grandfather who has lived in the road for about 50 years, said the fire had been "really bad" and a fishing tackle shop was among the affected businesses.

"He'd got loads of stuff in there," Mr Barrett said of the store, of which he was a customer. "Everything's gone. Such a shame. He had worked really hard."

Fire station commander Darryll Darkin told the BBC the "big challenge" had been maintaining power supplies for the community while making the area safe.

"We managed to restore that working with our partners in National Grid," he said.

"But there are still some electrical challenges due to some building collapses which have affected the local sub station."

Steve Barrett said the fire had been "really bad"

West Midlands Police set up road closures which were eventually scaled down, but the force said intermittent closures may appear throughout Sunday to allow crews to work safely.

The fire service earlier warned nearby residents to keep doors and windows closed as a precaution, with the public asked to avoid the area if possible.

Crews worked overnight to bring the fire under control