'It was like being in a war zone': Locals describe 'absolute chaos' and explosions amid fire at Walsall fireworks unit

After tackling the blaze throughout the night fire crews were able to reopen Pleck Road at 8.10am on Friday, with crews still in attendance at 10am damping down hotspots.

Jason Tift, aged 49, from Caldmore, captured dramatic footage of the fire at around 10pm on Thursday, showing an explosion that sent material flying from the roof and landing close to fire crews and onlookers.

Mr Tift said: "At first it seemed like absolute chaos, and you had pedestrians walking through near to where [material] was exploding off the roof.

"The firefighters did their best to control the scene, but when I filmed that explosion it was only then that they moved the public out of the way.

"I was about 10 metres away from the explosion. It was quite dramatic to be honest with you. It was like being in a war zone.

"It's right across the road from the hospital as well, and I did actually see patients up out of their beds peering through the windows."

Onlookers came and went throughout Friday morning, while some local business owners had to be let past hazard tape to access their shops and stores.

Joanne Smith from Simply Doors, a business on Pleck Road, said: "I don't know anybody that works down there, but it's affected us because we can't get into the car park.

"When I came to work the road was reopened, but I've had to park well away and walk down.

"Some of our fitters had to be let past the tape to load up, because we load up from the back of the shop near the fire."

Mr Tift claimed to have been approached by a "suspicious" man while filming the fire.

"I found him a bit suspicious," Jason explained. "As I was uploading the videos to my Facebook he kept trying to peer at my phone, and actually asked what I was doing which I thought was a bit suspicious."