FIREMEN risked their lives tackling a massive blaze at a Leigh garage early today as flames engulfed dangerous acetylene cylinders.

Firefighters spent several minutes in the Montfords Yard corrugated metal building on Jury Street before they noticed the two cylinders and had to withdraw to a safe distance.

Police warned residents living up to 200 metres away to stay inside their homes as six fire crews tackled the fire, which took nearly two hours to bring under control.

A guard dog inside the car repair garage was killed in the blaze and the flames spread to the roof space of the neighbouring Atherton Windows building.

But the crews from Leigh, Atherton, Eccles, Wigan and Farnworth managed to prevent the fire from spreading further.

The garage, which is believed to have had a car in it at the time, was completely destroyed and firemen are continuing to dampen down the smouldering wreckage today as well as keeping a careful eye on the acetylene cylinders.

Leigh Sub Officer Andy Horton said: "We will be keeping watch over the cylinders until Tuesday morning. Acetylene cylinders are very volatile when heated and if they explode it can be like a small bomb going off."

He stressed that the cylinder watch was a precautionary measure and he did not want anyone to panic.

The cause of the fire is still being investigated.