All residents forced to evacuate a marina park during an industrial fire in Hoo have now returned to their homes.

Around 200 people fled their homes at Hoo Marina Park, after a blaze broke out in a nearby industrial unit at around 4am on Friday morning.

There were reports of explosions and gas bottles were seen shooting into the air as the fire took hold, and residents were taken to sites of safety in Hoo village.

Kent Fire and Rescue Service said firefighting operations at the scene concluded at 1.50pm on Sunday, with crews having systematically worked their way through the site to dampen down remaining hot spots.

Two industrial units were destroyed by the fire, but no casualties were reported, and the cause remains under investigation.

While most residents were allowed to return to their homes on Friday night, a number had to be housed in temporary accommodation before being allowed back today.

Previous advice to close windows and doors in the area of Grain and the Hoo peninsula, has now been lifted.

Peninsula Cllr Ron Sands had previously praised the community of Hoo for rallying around to support those affected.

"As it stands everybody is back in their homes," he said. "Hopefully we've put it behind us for the time being, but it will be interesting to find out how it started.

"It was a fabulous response from the community, and the professional response from the emergency services was excellent as you'd expect. The Medway emergency team also kicked in very quickly and also did a professional job."

Ruth Du-Lieu, Medway Council’s Assistant Director for Frontline Services, said: “We worked closely with Kent Fire and Rescue Service and the police following the fire at Hoo Marina on Friday, September 4. We set up a rest centre for residents to safely stay whilst the fire was brought under control. The majority of residents were able to return to their homes, however, we arranged accommodation for those who were unable to return, or stay with friends or family. We would like to praise the whole community for coming together and supporting the residents affected during this difficult time.”

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