Castledawson fire: blaze at shed containing gas cylinders - homes evacuated

Earlier, the PSNI said the village was 'closed until further notice', with many areas cordoned off as to deal with what they described as an 'ongoing incident'. That incident, it emerged, was a fire a shed in the Station Road area.

The diversions have now been lifted with police saying the village is now open to traffic.

The NIFRS said the shed contained gas cylinders, confirming homes in the area were evacuated and that one man suffered minor burns.

A fire service spokesperson said: "Fire Crews from Magherafelt and Maghera extinguished the fire and are currently cooling and assessing the acetylene cylinder."

“Some homes have been evacuated and a police cordon is in place."

A post on the PSNI's central Twitter feed had warned motorists: "You can’t get access to the town from the main roads or any of the side roads. Please do not attempt to pass cordon points.

"We will provide any updates as we have them."