Dozens of families were evacuated from their homes yesterday amid fears gas canisters were about to explode following a suspected shed arson.

Fire crews were called to a house in Newland Street, Eynsham, at about 6am as a plume of thick smoke rose above the village.

Emergency teams were worried about two gas canisters in the garden shed - described as an "explosive cocktail" of acetylene, carbon dioxide and paints.

They immediately evacuated families from nine nearby properties, including the White Hart pub. Later in the day, the exclusion zone was extended and 200 more people were moved out.

At its peak 20 firefighters were tackling the blaze.

One Oxford Mail reader, who woke up after smoke drifted in through her open bedroom window, took pictures of the blaze.

She heard minor bangs and then what she described as a massive explosion.

"I could see the smoke going right up into the sky and thought it must be serious," she said.

"It was so dramatic, I had to take some pictures on my camera. There were police and fire engines everywhere. With those explosions I thought people could have been killed."

By the afternoon, the county's emergency officer John Kelly decided the evacuation zone should be extended.

Families were taken to a makeshift centre at Bartholomew School, as firefighters attempted to cool down the gas cylinders. It was thought families would not be able to return home until today at the earliest.

The Newlands Inn, about 100 metres from the scene of the fire, became a temporary canteen for the firefighters and 20 police officers.

Supt Dennis Evernden, area chief police officer, said: "One of the first things we did was to check on nearby homes to see if everyone was fine, and there were no injuries."

Firefighters used hose reels at a safe distance from the shed, pouring in thousands of gallons to cool down the gas cylinders.

At about 2pm a police helicopter using thermal imaging equipment revealed the cylinders were still too hot.

Street closures were in place in Beech Road, Hawthorn Road, Mill Street and Queen Street as well as Newland Street. The roads were expected to remain closed until today.

Police officers were brought in from Aylesbury Vale to help deal with the situation, supervising evacuation, providing reassurance on the street and escorting children from local schools after 3pm.

Newlands Inn landlord Russell Trotman said: "It's very busy, but we're coping."

He was woken up at 6am yesterday by police officers banging on his door.

"I didn't hear the explosions, probably because this is a 600-year-old building with thick walls," he said.

"But they told me to stay indoors and make sure my guests all did the same. Everyone in the village is talking about it."

A man was later arrested on suspicion of arson.