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Huge fire destroys warehouse in London in blaze seen for miles around London

Almost 100 firefighters were needed to tackle the fire in Erith

Lizzie Dearden
Saturday 21 February 2015 12:38 GMT
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The fire could be seen from miles away
The fire could be seen from miles away (YouTube)

Almost 100 firefighters took more than three hours to tackle a huge fire that completely destroyed a warehouse in south-east London overnight.

Witnesses reported hearing explosions as huge plumes of smoke were sent hundreds of feet into the air.

Flames and smoke could be seen from miles away, the London Fire Brigade said, and more than 50 people called 999 to report the blaze.

The storage building in Yarnton Way, Erith, was destroyed and two adjacent units and three lorries were damaged as the fire raged from around 2am.

Station Manager Norman Perry, who was at the scene, said: “Fire crews worked hard to bring this under control.

“The blaze was in an industrial area and we managed to stop it spreading to any residential homes. “We are likely to be at the scene throughout the morning damping down pockets of fire.”

Fire crews from Greenwich, Plumstead, Erith, Lee Green, Eltham, Deptford, Poplar, Shadwell, Bexley, Lewisham, Millwall and Sidcup brought it under control by 5.40am.

The cause of the blaze has not yet been determined.

A picture taken by firefighters showing the burning warehouse in Erith (London Fire Brigade)

It came two days after a fire at another industrial unit in London destroyed Valentine's Day roses.

The unsold flowers were burned in a florists’ storage area in Chiswick after a smoker threw their cigarette into a commercial waste bin.

The flames threatened to reach a helium cylinder used for balloons and firefighters set up a 200 metre cordon while they prevented a possible explosion.

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