Investigators seek cause of massive factory blaze
INVESTIGATORS are still trying to establish the cause of a huge blaze which destroyed a plastics factory in Birmingham.
More than 100 firefighters dashed to the scene in Seeleys Road at 4.50pm on Monday as a gigantic pall of smoke filled the sky – visible eight miles away.
An industrial manager who was trapped for two hours in the vicinity described the moment he heard a huge explosion as toxic fumes filled the air.
Carl Read, 54, said he heard a bang so loud he jumped with surprise.
The managing director was stuck in Seeleys Road alongside 40 other workers as emergency services flooded the scene.
His unit is just metres from the blaze and he witnessed one of the windows crack due to the intense heat.
After what he described as ‘quite a traumatic’ ordeal, Mr Read said: “Within 45 minutes to an hour it turned from something that looked reasonably minor which could be tackled quite easily to this absolute inferno. It was quite traumatic.”
The Westair Productions manager and his brother initially saw a ‘small fire’ involving plastic in the factory opposite at around 4.45pm. They continued to work until a firefighter urged them to leave their unit.
He continued: “We didn’t realise the danger we were actually in until I walked outside and a fireman said: ‘You shouldn’t be here, you need to get your staff and you need to leave as quickly as possible’.”
“By the time you went to go to the front door, you couldn’t touch the double glazed door because it was that hot.
“You could feel this intense heat. While I was on the phone to my wife, I heard a big explosion. A really loud bang. There were a couple of smaller ones as well. It made you jump it was that loud.”
Mr Read has no idea if his unit has been damaged in the blaze but fears the worst after seeing smoke from a neighbouring unit’s roof.
“There is a road between us and that unit and they have a metal fence that runs down. But from the actual heat from the fire it blew all the windows out. And obviously we were very concerned then about getting fire into our unit.
“The unit next to us which is taller had smoke coming from the roof. It was acrid, it was getting in the back of your throat. Really black, acrid smoke billowing out.”
West Midlands Fire Service Assistant Chief Fire Officer Sarah Warnes, the Incident Commander, said: “This was a significant incident to which our crews responded safely, effectively and assertively.
“In spite of extremely hot and arduous conditions, they drew on their skills and professionalism to ensure that the fire has been contained to the one site, saving nearby premises from harm.
“As well as 20 fire crews we had a number of specialist resources at the scene, including our hazardous materials specialists and a high-volume water pumping team.
“Our fire control received dozens of 999 calls from people for miles around who spotted the plume of thick, black smoke which rose from the fire.”