Six fire engines and 35 firefighters and officers were called to a garage fire on Park Avenue in Southall this afternoon.
The fire badly damaged the single storey car repair garage which contained a number of cylinders.
As some cyllinders can explode when exposed to heat around 50 people were evacuated from neighbouring properties as a precaution and a 100 metre safety cordon was put in place.
Station Manager Charlie Hanks who is at the scene said: "The fire affected a garage workshop and crews worked quickly to stop it from spreading to neighbouring properties. Around 50 residents living in homes nearby were evacuated as a precaution."
The Brigade was called at 1307 and the fire was under control by 1545.
Crews from Ealing, Hayes, Hillingdon, Southall and Northolt fire stations attended the incident and firefighters will now remain at the scene damping down for some time.
The cause of the fire is under investigation