A huge fire broke out on an industrial estate in south east London on Tuesday evening.
The blaze sparked in a scrap yard on Maypole Crescent, Erith, at about 6pm, setting fire to some scrap metal and a number of vehicles, the London Fire Brigade said. Over half of the scrap yard was set alight, including two adjacent car workshops.
The fire was under control just after 12.30am, although some fire crews remain at the scene.
Erith industrial estate fire
A spokesperson for the LFB said: "Fifteen fire engines and around 100 firefighters and officers from fire stations including Greenwich, Plumstead, Erith, Lee Green, Sidcup, and Bexley attended the scene."
A 200m hazard zone was put in place as acetylene gas cylinders were found on the site, which can explode when exposed to heat. The hazard zone was reduced this morning after they were removed.
Pictures posted on Twitter showed a huge cloud of smoke, which could reportedly be seen from as far as away as Lewisham, billowing from the warehouse.
People were advised to avoid the area and residents living in the surrounding roads were told to keep their windows shut.
Station manager Lee Sparks who was at the scene said: “Initially we were called to a scrap yard alight but the fire took hold quite quickly and spread to two nearby workshops. When they arrived firefighters were confronted with challenging conditions. There was thick smoke and the flames were high and crews worked incredibly hard to ensure the fire didn’t spread any further than it did."
There were no reports of any injuries. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
