Derby residents evacuated as firefighters tackle 'underground' blaze

A 10-metre cordon was put in place while fire crews attended the scene

Residents in a city street were evacuated from their homes as firefighters tackled a peculiar "underground" incident. Fire crews were called to Mill Street, near Bridge Street, on the outskirts of Derby city centre, at around 4.45pm on Thursday afternoon (October 10) after reports of a fire involving cables beneath the concrete.

Firefighters from Nottingham Road and Ascot Drive were called to the incident. Upon arrival, fire crews discovered smoke issuing from the broken ground. They made the area safe and implemented a 10-metre cordon, with residents living in two flats being evacuated for safety.

A spokesperson for Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service said: "Firefighters from Nottingham Road and Ascot Drive were called to a fire involving underground electrical cables which had broken through the pavement on Mill Street in Derby. Crews used an electric fire blanket over the broken ground to stop the smoke issuing further."

No one was injured during the incident and fire crews left the scene a short time later. The matter was then handed to National Grid once there was deemed no further fire risk.