HOUSES were evacuated as firefighters tackled a gas main blaze in a Hampshire neighbourhood.

The alarm was raised after the main ruptured at about 9am this morning and residents on Singleton Way, Totton, were warned to avoid the area.

Seven houses, eleven people and a dog were evacuated after builders Ronald Jones and Nick Cremin were using a jackhammer to widen a driveway.

The tool went through an electrical cable and gas pipe just inches underneath the surface and fire burst out.

The flame from the explosion hit Mr Jones in the face, and set fire to the jackhammer.  He said: "It just blew me away. It was frightening. It burnt my face. 

"I was digging a trench. There was four inches already off the top and we had to get another eight inches to get a pipe in. 

"It could have killed me. The electric and gas were next to each other.

"The flame just caught me and the whole jackhammer caught fire."

Mr Jones' business partner Nick Cremin added: "He's very lucky. It was terrifying."

Provider SGN says its repairs on the damage pipe have now been completed, meaning residents have now been allowed to go back to their homes.

Resident Jason Robinson was at home with his daughter when the explosion happened.

He said: "There were three or four ambulances here.

"There was a big bang and it caught light straight away.

"The jackhammer's blade was only about 200mm.

"It shows you how shallow they are under the ground."

Residents in all but one house have been allowed back into their homes.

The road is closed and emergency services and New Forest District Council are at the scene.

Fifteen firefighters attended the scene.  Redbridge fire station watch manager Simon Packer said: "We were just called to put out the burst main that was on fire. 

"We let it burn and kept an eye on it and now we're just waiting for the gas to cap it off.

"The jackhammer is still connected to the live wire. The pipes are at the regulation depth.

"We'd just like to say that if anyone is using electrical digging tools if there any doubts at all then they should use hand tools. 

"He was very lucky because there is a high pressure gas main there and if he'd gone through that the flames would have been higher than the house. 

"As it was it was about four feet high."

A spokesman for SGN said: "SGN was called to Singleton Way, Totton, earlier today after a gas service pipe was damaged by a third party.

"The incident led to a small fire and seven properties were evacuated for safety reasons.

"The fire was extinguished after the supply to the damaged gas pipe was isolated.

"We’ve now finished repairing the pipe, which means the affected properties can be reoccupied."