FIRE crews tackled two house fires and a shed fire in Darlington last night (Friday, April 29).

A busy night for the County Durham and Darlington Fire Service (CDDFS) saw three appliances and an aerial ladder in attendance at a house fire on Louisa Street.

The fire – at an empty mid-terrace property – broke out in the early hours of Saturday morning, forcing the temporary evacuation of surrounding homes and causing significant damage to the house.

Crews used hose reels, breathing apparatus and a thermal image camera in their efforts to tackle the blaze.

Earlier in the evening, fire fighters were dispatched to Flora Avenue in Darlington where they extinguished a small electrical fire.

A shed fire in a back garden on Shelly Road was also tackled overnight, though it caused slight damage to the owner’s house.

Rob Cherry from CDDFS praised crews for their swift actions and warned householders to ensure their sheds and outhouses were properly secured.

Mr Cherry also thanked members of the public for their exemplary behaviour.

He said the fires at Louisa Street and Shelly Road were currently subject to a joint investigation between the fire service and police.