WORKERS were evacuated as firefighters tackled a blaze which broke out an industrial estate.

The fire started this morning on the Milborne Industrial Estate, Milborne St Andrew.

Employees filed out of the units after alarms sounded.

Five crews of firefighters from the surrounding area were called out to tackle the flames.

The fire broke out in a 3D Ply timber workshop and spread to a unit next door.

Crews were on the scene within minutes and used four main reel hose lines to put the fire out.

Dorset Fire and Rescue Service said it was still investigating the cause of the blaze.

Fire incident commander Charlie Pack said crews had ‘worked hard to extinguish the fire.’ He said: “Everyone’s worked hard to extinguish the fire rapidly, preventing the fire spread.”

He added: “We were called at about 8.49am to a report of a fire in an industrial unit.

“We had three appliances consisting of about 30 firefighters.

“Incident support vehicles also attended.

“The cause is still under investigation.”

Crews from Blandford, Dorchester, Wareham and Poole rushed to the scene.

Workers were evacuated after the alarms sounded at around 8.45am.

A spraypaint booth was destroyed and an adjoining wood store was damaged.

There was heat damage to the main building roof and moderate smoke damage throughout the warehouse, a Dorset Fire and Rescue Service spokesman said.

Firefighters brought the blaze under control by 10am.

One onlooker said: “It is lucky the fire service brought it under control as there is a lot of wood and flammable material.

“It could have been much worse.”

Others described a ‘big cloud of black smoke’ rising from the building.

As a knock-on effect of the fire, crews were moved to provide standby cover at Dorchester, Bere Regis, Blandford, Wareham and Sturminster Newton.

Firefighters stayed on the scene after immediately extinguishing the fire to ensure the blaze was out and to ventilate the buildings.

A spokesman from 3D Ply said they didn’t want to comment about the fire.