Fire investigation underway into cause of huge blaze at Wolverhampton industrial site
Work is underway to establish what caused a huge fire at a car parts and breakers site in Wolverhampton on Friday night.
Emergency crews were called to Parkside Industrial Estate off Hickman Avenue, at a site occupied by car breaker company Motox1911, at about 8.45pm to reports of a severe fire inside.
Black smoke could be seen pouring into the sky for miles around. At its peak, more than 60 firefighters and 12 fire engines were in attendance.
A spokesperson for West Midlands Fire Service said on Saturday: "Just after 8.40pm, Staffordshire and West Midlands Fire Control started to receive multiple 999 calls reporting the incident.
"The first of our crews arrived within five minutes of being mobilised, to find a large commercial unit measuring 20 metres by 30 metres well alight.
"The corrugated metal roof had collapsed, meaning our crews were unable to enter parts of the building because it was too dangerous. There were also several propane cylinders, tyres and two forklift trucks on site.
"As our crews fought to bring the fire under control, we asked people nearby to keep doors and windows closed as a precaution.
"In spite of the challenging heat and conditions, the fire was mostly out by around 10.30pm and we were making plans to reduce the number of resources at the scene.
"Several main jets were used to douse the flames, and a hydraulic aerial platform was used to deliver water from above. A drone was also deployed, to assist operational decision making on the ground.
"There was no damage or fire spread to nearby buildings or a communications mast.
"Fire crews are expected to make revisits to the site for at least 24 hours, into Sunday, to ensure that no hotspots pose a risk of reignition."
Motox1911 was approached for comment in the wake of the fire.
