Emergency services have been battling a large fire in Bishop Auckland this evening.
Eyewitnesses described a fireball blooming into the sky above an allotment and a loud bang.
The fire service sent three fire engines to the scene after a number of reports at 20:23pm this evening (October 14).
A spokesperson for County Durham Fire and Rescue Service said that one crew was now left at the scene.
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They said: "The call came in at 20:23pm. We have had three fire engines at the scene and there were 16 calls in to the service.
"It was a single storey allotment shed that was on fire which was roughly 15m by 4m.
"We have still got one crew there. They will leave soon."
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