POLICE cordoned off a garage fire amid fears of a gas canister explosion in Newport last night.

Three cars and a van were damaged in the fire in the car park of Hillcroft Garage on Chepstow Road.

The suspected deliberate fire is believed to have started in nearby trees and “spread rapidly” to the cars stored at Hillcroft Garage, a fire service spokeswoman said.

A 14-year-old boy has been arrested on suspicion of arson.

After the fire a spokesman from the garage said the gas canisters, mainly used for barbecues, were empty at the time.

He added that the three cars were owned by the garage and had been at the bottom of the car park as they were not worth repairing.

The garage’s van was burnt out and a “total loss”.

Andrew Williams, workshop manager at the garage, said the fire was started by “some kids causing mischief”.

He added: “It looked like a space shuttle was being launched with the trees on fire.

“It’s lucky nobody was hurt or injured and that it wasn’t any closer to the other vehicles parked.”

Police put up a cordon of 200m around the garage amid fears that the canisters could explode.

A Gwent Police spokesman said: "Police were called to the Hillcroft Garage, Langstone, at about 9.10pm on Wednesday night after a fire had spread from a tree at the bottom of the yard causing damage to some scrap vehicles and a trailer

"A 14-year-old boy was arrested on suspicion of arson shortly afterwards and remains in police custody at this time."

A fire service spokeswoman said that three water ladders, a water bowser, four main jets, two ground monitors, one hose reel jet, two thermal imaging cameras and three breathing apparatus were used to tackle the blaze.

Crews from Malpas, Duffryn and Cwmbran attended the scene.