FIRE crews have been back to the scene of a fire in which a battery manufacturer and a martial arts club were “severely damaged”.

The fire broke out yesterday morning (Sunday, February 25) on Leach Road in Chard, damaging the PMBL building and Chard Tae Kwon-Do.

A Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson said the fire is being treated as accidental.

The spokesperson also added: “Crews went back to the scene this morning to damp down hotspots and will be returning at 3pm. The fire is being treated as accidental.”

The fire started in PMBL but the unit comprises two businesses, PMBL and the martial arts school.

The service initially sent six fire crews, which then became eight, and asked residents to close their windows and doors due to the smoke.

Yesterday, a service spokesperson said: “The roof of the building was fully involved in the fire and the building was deemed to be too unsafe, so crews had to withdraw and fight the fire defensively.”

In the afternoon, "steady progress was made” and the incident was scaled back to four pumping appliances.