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| Fire rages at ex-ICI plant site | Fire rages at ex-ICI plant site |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| A major operation has been launched after chemicals exploded at an industrial site in Ayrshire. | A major operation has been launched after chemicals exploded at an industrial site in Ayrshire. |
| Strathclyde Fire and Rescue has confirmed that more than 10 appliances are at the former ICI factory in Stevenston, near Irvine. | |
| Officers say they are dealing with a chemical explosion involving flammable nitro-cellulose. | |
| The site houses an old explosives factory. There are no reports of injuries and no-one has been evacuated. | |
| Eyewitnesses have told BBC Scotland that flames are reaching 100ft into the air and can be seen from 10 miles away. | |
| James Smith, 54, who lives about half-a-mile from the blaze, described how he heard explosions and saw huge flames as the factory went up at about 8.30pm. | |
| He said: "It was enormous. The flames were a couple of hundred feet high. It was like a white flame. | |
| "There were a couple of explosions, like gas canisters." | |
| Frank Chan was walking back to his bed and breakfast in nearby Ardeer when he heard the explosion. | |
| "It was just after 8pm as I'd been shopping at Morrisons and I was the last to leave the shop," he said. | "It was just after 8pm as I'd been shopping at Morrisons and I was the last to leave the shop," he said. |
| "As I walked along I heard the explosion and saw the flames." | "As I walked along I heard the explosion and saw the flames." |