Firm owners devastated by huge blaze at Smethwick industrial estate
Business owners have spoke of their anguish having had their premises devastated by a huge fire near The Hawthorns.
Up to six units at Wattville Road Industrial Park were flattened in the blaze which took hold around 3am on Wednesday morning.
Kulwinder Hayre owns the TV Trade Warehouse which was based in one of the affected units.
"When I got the call from the police I just bombed it down to the unit and found everything had gone up in flames," he said.
"I am completely devastated, what with it being near Christmas. We were really starting to stock up so I'm really concerned about what will have been lost.
"I have been down a few times since but it is just no good, it is hopeless. I can't get anywhere near."
Another business owner who police rang to give the terrible news was Balbir Singh Dhillon who owns Today's Home Bargains.
He said: "I had a call from police at 3am this morning telling me the alarm had gone off and they told me there had been a serious fire.
"I came down straight away but they had already blocked the road and I was told it wasn't safe for me to go any further. I haven't yet managed to see the extent of the damage.
"I am absolutely gutted. It's the busiest time of the year so it really couldn't have come at a worse time."
Investigators have begun work to determine what caused the fire which at its peak was tackled by more than 75 firefighters. The units which collapsed contained clothes, electrical goods and stationary supplies.
Nearby residents were advised to keep their windows shut due to smoke billowing into the air and Wattville Primary School was closed.
A text message was sent to parents after headteacher Joanne Roach acted on the advice of West Midlands Fire Service.
She said: "This morning when I arrived it felt very, very smokey at the school. But it has been a beautiful clear day so I think that has helped clear it.
"It did look awful earlier, it was just so dark from the sheer amount of black smoke.
"My main priority was the parents who would struggle to get here with all the traffic and those children that walk to school. You don't want them to be in the midst of this sort of activity."
She added the school was expected to reopen today.
Firefighters were able to save a number of vehicles from the industrial park including forklift trucks and a tanker which contained 4,500 litres of diesel.
They also saved a puppy from one of the units they had been protecting in case the fire spread to other parts of the Middlemore Industrial Estate.
There was also concern about a gas main located on the site but by the afternoon it had been safely closed off.
Labour Councillor Roger Horton, who represents the Soho and Victoria ward on Sandwell Council, said: "With anything like this there is an awful impact on businesses and a knock-on effect for the local area.
"It is now about getting organised to carry on and to move forward.
"Unfortunately there is not much you can say at this time. This will need to be investigated to see what caused it and how to prevent further incidents in the future."
Godfrey Gayle, who lives opposite the school, was not aware there had been a fire until he looked out of his window at around 8am.
He said: "When I woke up I heard a noise and to be honest thought it was someone starting a truck.
"My little girl then came in and said she had seen bright lights outside.
"I looked out and saw all the emergency crews and that's when I saw the bellowing smoke. It was quite shocking to see."
A number of roads were closed including Bridge Street North, Lewisham Road and Wattville Road. These closures remained in place overnight.
