FIRE crews responded to a large fire that 'covered' the street in smoke with the entire neighbourhood cordoned off. 

Dorset and Wiltshire Fire alongside Dorset Police and South Western Ambulance Service responded to a large property fire on Watkin Road, Boscombe, at 12:30pm on May 21. 

Police cordoned off large areas around the fire while 11 crews fought the fire which was quickly put out. 

A spokesperson for DW Fire said: "We received a call at 12.29pm this afternoon about a property fire on Watkin Road, Bournemouth.

"Crews from Springbourne, Christchurch (x2), Redhill Park, Westbourne, Poole (x3), New Milton (x2), Wimborne and a support unit from Salisbury are currently in attendance.

"Two breathing apparatus wearers are using hose reel jets to extinguish the fire whilst firefighters check for firespread."

Nearby residents reported a huge amount of smoke on the street with one reporting they originally believed it was 'very bad fog'. 

Another stated their water had been cut off while the fire was being fought. 

A resident who wanted to remain anonymous said: "The smoke was really bad.

"The whole street was covered in smoke and at first I thought it was a very bad fog, but soon after the smoke started coming through my open windows.

"My whole house stinks of smoke - my blankets and freshly washed laundry has to be rewashed.

"I went outside to see what was happening but I only went three roads down and I could see from two streets away that there were lots of fire trucks going past my house."

Police closed Florence Road, half of Glen Road and Beechwood Avenue in response to the fire but it is unknown which property was on fire or the cause of it. 

Another resident reported that he had spoken to a man who had parked on Watkin Road moments before the incident and returned unable to collect his vehicle. 

The resident said: "There's some poor bloke who went to Specsavers to go get his eyes checked and he was told he will have to wait half an hour to an hour to get his car out so he's not happy."