Update 10.40am

Gwent Police have confimed the road was reopened around 7am.

Update 10.11am

Jo Walters a spokeswoman from the Salvation Army who are assisting residents, said:
“None of the occupants are allowed to go back into the premises,” she said.

“The house is completely gutted and there is so much damage to the other two.

“At 8am they [the residents] were waiting for the insurance assessors and are not sure where they are going to spend the night.

“This is the second major fire in Cwm in three weeks, with the last one at Station Terrace.”

Gwent Police have confirmed that the cause of fire is still being investigated by the Fire Service.

 

Update 7.40pm

Glenys Gill, 77 is the aunt of Stephen Phillips who lives next door to the house where the fire happened, in Marine Street, Cwm. Their upstairs bedrooms and attic was badly damaged.

Mrs Gill said: "Stephen's wife was in the kitchen when it happened. She could smell the smoke. Stephen was at work.

"They have just had all the house redecorated. That's what the gutting part is.

"Their daughter is at university in Swansea and all her college work is in the attic which they are worried is lost."

Update 7.20pm

Fire crews have now left the scene.

Update 6.31pm

Peter and Jenny Henn live next door. They spent the day at the Salvation Army centre.
Mr Henn said: "Someone came knocking at the door to say there was a fire. The smoke was billowing out and was moving up the road."
The couple say their roof was also damaged, and their back bedroom windows blew out.
Mrs Henn: "We have been well looked after. People couldn't have been more helpful, Cwm is like that. There's a strong community spirit."

Update 6.09pm

All residents except those in the house and the two adjoining properties are now back in their homes.

Update 6.06pm

Reporter Fran Gillett was at the scene spoke to Glenys Gill, the aunt of Stephen Phillips, 46, whose house adjoins the one devastated in the fire.
Mrs Gill said the Mr Phillips and his partner are shaken up but luckily no one was hurt.
 

Update 5.57pm

Marine Street remains closed as fire crews dampen down, and it is not yet clear when it will re-open. There is a chance the road could be closed throughout the night.

Update 5.47pm

A South Wales Fire and Rescue Service spokeswoman said 20 firefighters fought the blaze. She said: “At 12.35pm, crews from SWFRS were mobilised to attend a reported house on Marine Street in Cwm, Ebbw Vale. 
“On arrival, crews from Ebbw Vale, Abertillery, Aberbargoed, Tredegar and Maindee were faced with a serious and developing fire in a mid terraced property involving the first floor and roof space, as well as spreading to neighbouring properties. 
“Prompt action by the crews prevented a serious escalation of the incident, with neighbouring properties sustaining smoke and fire damage. 
“The cause of the fire is not known and an investigation will be undertaken when the property is safe to enter.”
 

Update 4.13pm

Cwm councillor Keren Bender said she had been down to the fire on Marine Street where around 10 houses had been evacuated to the Salvation Army refuge point on Aubrey Street.

She confirmed that an elderly man who lives alone at the property where the fire started was not home at the time.

She said residents in the neighbouring houses also suffered damage to their properties but no one was injured.

“It was a very large fire,” she said.

“The roof [of the property] is completely gone and the houses alongside have had fire damage with blown out windows and water damage.

“It is a complete write off.

“The main thing is that no one was hurt.”

A Gwent Police spokeswoman confirmed the road is still closed between Marine Street and Canning Street and 10 homes were initially evacuated to the Scout hall and are currently at the Salvation Army base on Aubrey Street.

She said no one has been injured and it is unclear whether resident will be able to return to the home this evening.

A  Welsh Ambulance spokes woman said: “ We were called at 12.37pm to a fire at an address on Marine Street in Cwm, Ebbw Vale.

“We sent a rapid response car, an emergency ambulance and the Trust’s Hazardous Area Response Team, but were not required.”

 

Update 3.50pm:

THE main street through the village of Cwm is closed as fire crews battle a blaze in a house, Gwent Police say.

The road is closed between Marine Street and Canning Street. Police were called at 12.35pm to reports of a fire at a house on Marine Street.

A number of houses have been evacuated because of the large fire.Police say they currently have no reports of any injuries and are still on the scene.