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| Version 3 | Version 4 |
|---|---|
| Fire at Stafford industrial cleaning company | Fire at Stafford industrial cleaning company |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| A large fire is being battled by 50 firefighters at an industrial cleaning company in Stafford. | |
| The blaze at Global Hygiene blaze, on Astonfields Industrial Estate has taken fire crews more than four hours to control. | |
| Nearby schools have been closed due to smoke and fumes, with homes and businesses in a 50m radius evacuated. | |
| A worker suffered minor burns but there are no other casualties, Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service said. | |
| All staff were safe, a spokeswoman for Global Hygiene said. | All staff were safe, a spokeswoman for Global Hygiene said. |
| Fire updates and more Staffordshire news | Fire updates and more Staffordshire news |
| The company said the fire broke out in a building which was under construction. | The company said the fire broke out in a building which was under construction. |
| Houses within 50 metres of the blaze have been evacuated. | Houses within 50 metres of the blaze have been evacuated. |
| Two nearby schools - St Patrick's Catholic Primary and Nursery School and John Wheeldon Primary School - are closing early because of the smoke and fumes. | Two nearby schools - St Patrick's Catholic Primary and Nursery School and John Wheeldon Primary School - are closing early because of the smoke and fumes. |
| The fire, which has been declared a "major incident", was reported by a worker at the industrial cleaning supply firm at about 08:45 GMT. | The fire, which has been declared a "major incident", was reported by a worker at the industrial cleaning supply firm at about 08:45 GMT. |
| A fire brigade spokesman said there was "a large quantity of oil - a 40,000-litre container of heat transfer oil" on the premises, but it was not alight. | A fire brigade spokesman said there was "a large quantity of oil - a 40,000-litre container of heat transfer oil" on the premises, but it was not alight. |
| Emergency services have been using the nearby Stafford Rangers Football Club a few hundred yards away as a command post to organise the firefighting effort. | Emergency services have been using the nearby Stafford Rangers Football Club a few hundred yards away as a command post to organise the firefighting effort. |
| Drummond Road is closed at the junction with Astonfields Road and motorists are being warned of reduced visibility in the area due to smoke. | Drummond Road is closed at the junction with Astonfields Road and motorists are being warned of reduced visibility in the area due to smoke. |
| Assistant Chief Constable for Staffordshire Police, Nick Adderley, tweeted: "No loss of life, just one minor injury. Declared a major incident." | Assistant Chief Constable for Staffordshire Police, Nick Adderley, tweeted: "No loss of life, just one minor injury. Declared a major incident." |
| A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokesman said the worker with minor burns did not require hospital treatment. | A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokesman said the worker with minor burns did not require hospital treatment. |
| "Medics from the Hazardous Area Response Team will remain on scene to support the fire service whilst they continue to fight the large fire," he added. | "Medics from the Hazardous Area Response Team will remain on scene to support the fire service whilst they continue to fight the large fire," he added. |
| 'Balls of flame' | 'Balls of flame' |
| A director of Global Hygiene said in a statement: "There was one person in the building at the time the fire started and he was evacuated safely. | A director of Global Hygiene said in a statement: "There was one person in the building at the time the fire started and he was evacuated safely. |
| "Some of the neighbouring units on the technology park were also evacuated to ensure the safety of everyone on site. | "Some of the neighbouring units on the technology park were also evacuated to ensure the safety of everyone on site. |
| "We are very grateful to the fire services who responded very promptly to the emergency call." | "We are very grateful to the fire services who responded very promptly to the emergency call." |
| He added it was too early to comment on the cause of the fire and said an investigation was under way. | He added it was too early to comment on the cause of the fire and said an investigation was under way. |
| Sarah Kearney, who works nearby, said: "We came in to work at about 9am. | Sarah Kearney, who works nearby, said: "We came in to work at about 9am. |
| "I sat down, looked out of the window, there was thick black smoke. | "I sat down, looked out of the window, there was thick black smoke. |
| "In the last hour it just got thicker and thicker. We saw explosions, balls of flame. | "In the last hour it just got thicker and thicker. We saw explosions, balls of flame. |
| "If I go outside, I can hear sirens everywhere." | "If I go outside, I can hear sirens everywhere." |