A BLAZE at a garden centre in Sidcup which filled the surrounding area with smoke yesterday (April 26) is being treated as an accident.

The plume of black smoke as two warehouses burned at Ruxley Manor Garden Centre, Maidstone Road, could be seen for miles around.

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 evacuated as more than 60 firefighters battled the flames yesterday afternoon.

The fire crews were called to the site at around 2.20pm and managed to bring the blaze under control by 6.52pm last night.

Some crews remain on the site damping down and are expected to be there for most of the day.

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.

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