FIRE investigators were today hoping to sift through the remnants of a master carver's workshop.

Flames swept through Dr Joseph Hemingway's workshop on Wood End Road, Armitage Bridge, on Tuesday night.

The main Meltham Road that runs past the workshop was closed at Big Valley between Lockwood and Netherton for all of yesterday.

The fire was spotted by neighbour Geoff Markham who alerted fire crews and captured the fire on camcorder.

He revealed the blaze swept incredibly quickly through the two-storey building and flames were shooting through the roof when firefighters arrived.

Mr Markham, 54, a security guard at the Storthes Hall student campus, said: "I was watching the TV news and it had been snowing.

"At first I thought it had started to snow really heavily, but then I realised it was smoke."

He dialled 99 9then captured the drama on film .

He said: "It was well on fire and the whole building went up so quickly. The heat coming off the building was intense."

Firefighters discovered a large oxyacetylene cylinder inside the workshop and feared it could explode .

The cylinder remained highly unstable yesterday keeping investigators out of the smouldering hulk .

Meltham Road remained closed as a precaution.

The workshop backs onto a row of five cottages and all the homes had to be evacuated .