Homes have been evacuated after a fire broke out at a builder’s yard in Oulton near Lowestoft in the early hours of this morning.

Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service were called at 3.52am today, Monday April 29, to a fire in Lime Avenue.

According to a fire spokesman, the fire had spread to an area of approximately 20m x 20m and involved two builder’s teleporters, an office building and a Celotex pallet.

Firefighters used three main jets, a hose reel jet and four sets of breathing apparatus to tackle the blaze.

The spokesman added: “Firefighters made good progress containing the spread of the fire and preventing it from spreading to a 10,000 litre diesel tank.

“Two nearby properties were evacuated to ensure the safety of residents.”

The fire was extinguished and a stop called to the incident at around 5.37am.

A spokesman for Suffolk police said officers had attended the scene to help with road closures and the evacuation of nearby homes.

“A couple of houses were initially evacuated,” he said. “We assisted with road closures, we are still on scene at the moment.

“Residents have now been allowed back into their homes.”