A major incident was declared in Wolverhampton after more than 100 firefighters tackled a huge blaze that engulfed a derelict factory.
Firefighters were called to the fire in the Horseley Fields area, close to a railway line and houses, shortly after 9pm on Monday.
West Midlands fire service said five fire engines and other appliances remained at the scene on Tuesday morning and a number of roads had been closed.
People were evacuated from their homes to two nearby leisure centres due to the amount of smoke in the area.
“Crews have continued to fight the fire throughout the night. More than 30 of our appliances have been in attendance and as of this morning, we have five fire engines, two hydraulic platforms and two of our high-volume water pumping units on scene,” the fire service said.
“Relief plans are being created as we look to draw the incident to a safe conclusion.”
The fire service said the blaze involved multiple factory units, measuring approximately 200 sq metres. In total more than 100 firefighters and 28 fire engines were dispatched to the scene, and pumping units were used to take water from a nearby canal.
The fire is close to a main railway line and Wolverhampton train station, where all train services were cancelled on Monday night. On Tuesday morning, National Rail warned trains may be cancelled, delayed by up to 60 minutes or diverted, with major disruption expected until the end of the day.
Passengers reported being stuck on trains in the area for up to two hours on Monday night. Avanti West Coast said at about 1am trains were back on the move via an alternative route.
Road closures remained in place in Lower Walsall Street, Lower Horseley Fields and Colliery Road.
West Midlands ambulance service said no injuries were reported. “There were no patients requiring treatment, but ambulance staff remained on scene to support colleagues from the fire service, before being stood down at 6.30am today,” a spokesperson said.
“If you are within a close distance of the area please ensure you keep all windows and doors closed and stay indoors where you can.”
