A fire which ripped through a building in Carmarthen started in a van parked nearby, it has been confirmed.
The blaze broke out at around 4am on Sunday morning in the Old Station Road area of the town centre and burned for more than five hours.
Pictures taken at the scene show the scale of the fire, with flames and smoke billowing into the air, which led to locals being warned to shut all windows and doors and to avoid the Old Station Road area.
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Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service has now confirmed that the fire originated in a van and spread to the nearby building, measuring approximately 10-meters by 10-meters, which was being used to store tyres.
Two houses were also evacuated as the road was shut for several hours, but police, who were also called to the scene along with officers from Natural Resources Wales, have confirmed that all affected residents were safe and unharmed.
Fire crews from Carmarthen, Kidwelly, Morriston, Pontyates and Tumble were all sent to tackle the fire and used three main jets, two hose reel jets, a ground monitor, a turntable ladder and a water bowser. The fire was eventually extinguished at around 9.50am on Sunday morning, more than five hours after it had started.
However, firefighters remained at the scene until Monday morning to monitor the situation and dampen down hotspots. It is unclear at this stage how the fire started in the van, but the incident is being investigated by Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service and Dyfed-Powys Police, it has been confirmed.
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