MORE than two dozen residents of a care home in Cirencester have been evacuated following an explosion.

28 residents were evacuated from Watermoor House care home after a fuse box exploded at around 1.50pm today.

Neighbouring care home Paternoster House, situated over the road, and which is currently at full capacity, has provided temporary refuge while alternative accommodation for the residents is found for the night.

Ruth Halstead, home manager of Watermoor House, said: “We had an explosion in a fuse box, which, following our normal policy procedures, we called the fire brigade.

“There wasn’t a fire in the fuse box, there was just an explosion.

“We got the fire brigade out, and while we were touring the house, checking everything, we noticed smoke coming up from the cellar and into the dining room, where the mains power cable comes into the building.”

She said: “The fire brigade were very prompt at getting here and they sorted out the damage down in the cellar. And we then got the utilities in to isolate the electricity.

“We have safely evacuated all of our residents into a neighbouring care home, Paternoster.”

She said it is an “initial evacuation” and Gloucestershire County Council are assisting us in finding beds for the night for all of the residents.”

Ruth said the explosion was heard by a member of staff who “reported it immediately”.

Asked if it is likely that enough beds will be found by tonight, she said: “Yes, definitely.”

“Some have gone home with families and the others, there’s plenty of beds around Cirencester.”

It is, however, unclear how long it will be before residents can return to the care home.

The fire brigade left the scene at around 3.45pm, according to Ruth, while engineers from Scottish and Southern left just before 5pm.

Joy Warren, home manager at Paternoster House, also on Watermoor Road, said in her eight years in the role, she had never seen an evacuation on this scale.

Paternoster has 40 beds and is at full capacity, meaning none of the evacuated residents can stay there overnight.

“We all have a major incident contingency,” she said. “If something happens here and we need to put our residents in a place of safety, we use Watermoor House across the road. And likewise, if something happens there, they come over here, temporarily.

“We are providing a safe environment for them, just until they decide where they are going. It’s only a very temporary measure, so that they are safe. Until they find appropriate accommodation overnight.”

She said more than 20 residents were brought over to Paternoster from around 3pm, with the heat having peaked at around 30 °C, while staff from both homes have worked throughout the afternoon to transfer residents’ personal belongings.

“They gradually brought them all over. Some of my staff brought them over.”

When asked if it was likely all residents would get a bed for the night, Joy said: “Yes. That’s not my department. Social services will sort that out.”

She said her staff have been ensuring the residents are getting enough to drink and they are making sandwiches for their dinner.

Asked if she expected it to be a late night, she said: “For me? I think so, yes. I won’t be able to go until they are all sorted.”

She said she had “no idea” on the timeframe of when the temporary residents would be leaving.

More to follow.