Fire crews spent more than two hours tackling a garage fire in Douglas in the early hours of Tuesday.

Three fire engines were sent to the scene in the central part of the town, with the occupants having already evacuated the property by the time crews arrived.

The incident follows a separate severe garage fire in Onchan, which led to the evacuation of neighbouring properties. Fire damage was caused to the garage in that incident, with only minor smoke damage to the property.

Speaking about the Douglas fire, Station Officer Amber Carridge said crews were called shortly before 2am.

‘Three major appliances responded to reports of a structure fire in the Douglas area,’ she said.

‘On arrival, crews discovered a fire contained to a garage at the rear of the property. All occupants had evacuated safely and without injury.

‘Firefighters used a combination of hose reels, main jets and thermal imaging cameras to extinguish the fire.’

She said four firefighters wearing breathing apparatus were deployed to put out the blaze and check for any spread.

‘The fire was confined to the garage and the property did not suffer any smoke damage,’ she added.

‘Crews were in attendance for around two and a half hours. We would like to thank our colleagues from Manx Utilities and Isle of Man Energy, who attended promptly to make the property safe.’

While the exact cause of the fire has not been confirmed, the fire service has issued safety advice following the incident.

Residents are urged to ensure smoke alarms are working, keep garages neat and tidy, and store petrol, oil, paint and chemicals in designated, well-ventilated areas such as fire-resistant cabinets.

People are also advised not to overload electrical sockets and to keep flammable materials away from heat sources, including boilers.