A GARDEN centre in Sidcup is open for business a day after a blaze tore through its main warehouse.

Smoke from the fire could be seen for miles around as the building and an adjacent warehouse as Ruxley Manor Garden Centre, Maidstone Road, burned.

Staff made sure all the shoppers and the pet shop animals were evacuated safely as the fire started at around 2.30pm yesterday afternoon (April 26).

View pictures from Ruxley Manor Garden Centre fire

A 300m cordon was set up because of gas canisters on the site and part of the A20 was closed due to the risk of them exploding.

Paintballers in nearby Ruxley Wood were also evacuated as more than 60 firefighters battled the flames.

The firefighters managed to stop the fire spreading from the warehouses and had it under control by 6.52pm.

Crews are still at the scene damping down and are expected to be there for most of the day.

Garden centre director James Evans has praised the firefighters and his staff for their actions yesterday.

Mr Evans said: “The staff were excellent and they evacuated the centre and there were no injuries or casualties.

“We would be looking at a very different scenario if it wasn’t for the staff.”

“The firefighters prevented it from spreading to the main retail area.”

Mr Evans added that losing the warehouse which stored items ranging from fence panels and water features to the Christmas grotto is a big hit to the business but they are trading as normal.

Nearby residents reported seeing thick black smoke rising hundreds of feet into the sky.

Tony Reynolds, of Maidstone Road, had gone to the garden centre but was turned back because of the flames.

He said: “It was an enormous fire.

“We could see the flames which were very high and there was very thick acrid smoke which was drifting across the road.

“There was a dreadful smell of burning here overnight.”

The 71-year-old man added: “I’m concerned about the damage.

“They are kind, genuine people who run it and there must be considerable smoke damage.”

Grandmother-of-two Irene Waterman, also of Maidstone Road, was in her back garden when she saw the black sky.

“The 58-year-old said: “I thought it was going to rain with the black sky and then I realized there was a fire because there was smoke billowing over the road.

“It was quite a shock and it was quite traumatic.”

It is not yet known what caused the blaze but a police spokesman said the London Fire Brigade says it started accidentally and it is not being treated as a crime.

All roads in the area were reopened by 9.05pm.