30 firefighters work through the night to tackle city blaze
Thirty firefighters were called to the blaze close Sunderland city centre which has damaged at least two commercial properties.
An emergency call which reported a fire on Villiers Street was received at midnight on Thursday.
No casualties have been reported, however, roads around the properties in the street were closed to traffic, including the A1018 Sans Street dual carriageway and a short section of Borough Road.
Smoke and flames were visible at the scene, but there was no identification on the cause of the fire as the Echo went to press.
In a statement sent to the Echo at noon with the latest update, a Tyne and Wear
Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson said: “We can confirm that we responded to a serious fire at a commercial property in Sunderland in the early hours of Friday morning.
“An emergency call which reported a fire on Villiers Street was received at midnight.
"The incident focused on two buildings as part of the commercial garage.
"At the height of the fire, 30 firefighters tackled the blaze.
“We deployed seven fire appliances to the incident, including an aerial ladder platform.
“The fire is under control and our crews are currently still on-scene continuing with firefighting operations and assessing the situation.
“We would still advise local residents to avoid travelling in and around Villiers Street and to await further updates from the service. We have been working closely with our blue light colleagues and Sunderland City Council throughout the incident.”