Emergency services have warned that fireworks may have been stored inside a west London warehouse which burst into flames on Tuesday.
The London Fire Brigade (LFB) said around 150 firefighters and 25 fire engines were tackling the blaze at the two-storey building containing a warehouse and retail space on Bridge Road in Southall.
The brigade said three-fourths of the building were burnt at the peak of the incident, with about one-fourth burnt on Tuesday evening, with the roof of the warehouse also collapsed.
As a precaution, three schools and a residential block of flats were evacuated.
A major incident was declared before stopping at 6.02pm and firefighters will remain at the scene overnight.
London’s fire commissioner, Jonathan Smith, told the PA news agency: “For everyone in the area, just keep yourself safe.
“Keep yourself away from the perimeter. We have got a 200 meter perimeter around the incident site. We will ensure that everyone stays away.”
“In the near future, certainly overnight, this is going to be a very busy scene of operations.
“Therefore, we would ask the public to stay away, maintain a safe distance and allow the fire brigade to do their job.”
The LFB said crews from Southall, Heston, Ealing and surrounding fire stations were responding to the blaze.
Three turntable ladders were initially deployed to allow crews to approach the fire from height, but firefighters have been removed for safety reasons.
Earlier, the brigade’s incident commander Pat Goulbourne said: “All firefighters have moved to a safe distance and are now fighting the fire from a greater distance to ensure the safety of the crew.
He said, “Firefighters are working hard to safely contain this fire. Due to the complex nature of the site and the size of the fire, this will be a lengthy incident and crews will continue firefighting operations throughout the day.”
Goulbourne said there was a large amount of smoke coming from the fire and he advised residents to keep their doors and windows closed until the fire was out. They also advised drivers to avoid the area.
The LFB said the first report of the fire was received at 8.55 am, with a total of around 60 calls.
LFB said the cause of the fire is not yet known.
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