One person unaccounted for in industrial estate fire

The area’s MP said the blaze ‘may involve chemicals’.
Fire at industrial premises in Juno Drive, Leamington Spa (Jacob King/PA)
PA Wire
Josh Payne27 August 2021

A large fire at an industrial estate has prompted the evacuation of surrounding properties as police said one person is unaccounted for.

A huge plume of smoke has been seen rising above Juno Drive in Leamington Spa.

Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service are at the scene.

Local resident Shehnaz Khan, 29, lives about a mile away and said she did not hear the initial explosion but quickly noticed the smoke.

She told the PA news agency: “Popped into the garden, looked up and (saw) clouds of smoke bigger than anything I’ve seen before in Leamington.

“Leamington is such a quiet town, nothing like this ever happens at all… I’ve lived here nearly 30 years, since I was born, and it’s the quietest town.

“There’s so much smoke, honestly… it just looks like it’s gone all the way up to the clouds.”

Labour MP Matt Western said he has heard the fire may involve chemicals from a plastics business unit.

Warwickshire Police said businesses and houses near Juno Drive have been evacuated.

Anyone living within 70 metres of the site is being urged to keep windows and doors closed.

Residents watch an explosion during the fire (Jacob King/PA)
PA Wire

West Midlands Ambulance Service said they have two paramedic officers and a hazardous area response team at the scene.

They said they have no patients to deal with.

Police said road closures are in place.

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