A takeaway was gutted in an early morning blaze today, leaving two people in need of medical attention.
Chiquita, in Ward's End, Loughborough, had just closed for business when the fire broke out in the two-storey building at about 4.15am today.
Firefighters spent about an hour getting the blaze under control and at one point there were concerns about a gas explosion.
The fire service said the blaze began in the kitchen, causing serious fire damage to the takeaway and smoke damage to neighbouring properties.
Two people were treated for smoke inhalation by paramedics on the scene but did not require hospital treatment.
A fire spokesman said: "The cause of the fire was accidental due to residual fat on a range catching fire.
"Fifty per cent of the building was damaged by the fire."
During the operation to extinguish the blaze, a gas pipe ruptured and firefighters forced their way into the next-door property, The Mattress Man, causing damage to the building as they made their way into the cellar to turn off the gas supply.
Jack Stokes, who owns the furniture shop, had to move his stock to a new unit in the town centre today.
He said: "I've only been open for four weeks and my friend called me early this morning to tell me he'd heard about the fire.
"I got here at 8am and found the firefighters had broken into my shop to turn the gas off, so there was quite a mess.
"But the main problem is the smoke, which has probably ruined about £400 or £500 worth of stock, as well as the new carpet I bought when I opened."
There are two flats above Chiquita and The Mattress Man but it is not clear whether either of them were occupied at the time of the fire.
Jack said: "I haven't seen anyone from the flats but the smoke has definitely drifted up there - there's a real stink upstairs."
Jack's colleague Stefan Hassall, who works with him in the shop, said: "Inside the takeaway it's just all black and everything is just cooked and it stinks.
"It's like there's been a big gas explosion."
Darren Roberts, whose shop Shine Footwear neighbours Chiquita on the other side, was also affected by the smoke.
He said: "The smell is the worst thing.
"I only get here at about 10am each morning because I come in from Nottingham.
"When I arrived I saw the sign up on the front of Chiquita which said 'closed for refurbishment' and I thought that was odd.
"Then I noticed the smell.
"It's pretty bad in my shop and it could be bad for the clothes and the leather shoes."
