A major fire has broken out at an abandoned factory in the city of Wolverhampton in the west of England, forcing the authorities to evacuate the local population, the regional fire service said on Tuesday
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 06th December, 2022) A major fire has broken out at an abandoned factory in the city of Wolverhampton in the west of England, forcing the authorities to evacuate the local population, the regional fire service said on Tuesday.
"Major incident declared in Horsley Fields, Wolverhampton. WMFS (West Midlands Fire Service) currently have 20 appliances and 2 Hydraulic platforms dealing with a large fire within numerous derelict factories. Please avoid the area if possible due to on coming emergency services," the service wrote on Twitter.
The fire started on Monday evening at an abandoned plant, but soon spread to several nearby buildings, according to firefighters.
The total area of the fire reached about 40,000 square meters (430,556 square feet). The authorities classified the disaster as a serious incident due to its scale and proximity to railway tracks and residential buildings.
Due to heavy smoke, the government evacuated local residents to nearby cultural and recreation centers. In addition, several road were closed in the vicinity to ensure safe access for service vehicles in and out of the fire zone. Railway traffic was also suspended in the region.
As of 1:30 p.m local time (13:30 GMT), around 50 firefighters remained in attendance at the scene and two hydraulic platforms were deployed.
The fire service's investigation team has begun work to establish a cause of the fire.
