More than 50 firefighters dealing with major blaze at food business in Willenhall as 'mini explosions' heard
Several roads are closed as more than 50 firefighters battle a 'large scale' fire at a food and wholesale business unit in Willenhall.
Residents have been advised to close their windows with some saying they were woken by "mini explosions" as the blaze tore through the unit on Stringes Lane.
Crews managed to stop the fire from spreading to nearby homes while staff working at the business had safely left the building before fire services arrived.
Crews were called just after midnight as the flames tore through the roof leaving more than half of the building completely destroyed. It is believed the blaze took place at Midland Food Group Ltd.
As of 8.30am, crews were working to scale down the operation with a view to opening some of the closed roads. Footage from the scene shot this morning shows the scale of the devastation at the site.
Parents of children who attend nearby Barcroft Primary have been advised to walk into school due to the closures.
The following roads currently remain closed Bentley Lane, Greadier Street, Short Street, Mill Lane, Haley Street, Spring Lane, Forge Street, Ashmore Lake Way and Stringes Close.
Resident Toni Williams could see smoke and flames billowing into the sky from their home nearby after hearing "gunshot sounds".
Toni said: "I got home from work at around 12:20am, me and my wife got into bed and around 12:45an we heard what sounded to be gunshots and loads of sirens and flashing blue lights coming past our house on St Anne’s road.
"At first we ignored it and then it was getting worse so we went to investigate and as we looked out the window we saw a great big cloud of smoke and bright orange flames coming from the factory.
"As we have woken up this morning we can still see faded smoke coming from the area. We hope everyone involved is safe and well and a huge thank you to the fire service, police and ambulance service for all the hard work."
A spokesman for West Midlands Fire Service said: "We were called just after midnight on January 12 to reports of a factory fire on Stringes Lane, Willenhall.
"A total of 10 fire crews with over 50 firefighters have been mobilised to this incident along with other specialist vehicles and equipment.
"Our initial crews arrived on the scene in just under three and a half minutes and began tackling the blaze, which broke through the roof of the property - a 100m x 30m industrial unit used as a food and wholesale supplier.
"The severe fire affected over 60 per cent of the building, with 5 of 7 sectors across 3251 sq metres involved or affected by fire.
"Our crews have worked hard to ensure nearby properties were not damaged by any fire spread as well as worked to protect a nearby vehicle fuel tank and an oil tanker.
"A total of 13 jets are in use with two of our hydraulic platforms also providing support. A high-volume pump, also at the scene, has been brought into use to support firefighting activities.
"All staff who were working on the site evacuated safely prior to fire service arrival and there are no reported injuries to site staff.
"West Midlands Ambulance and West Midlands Police have also been in attendance supporting us with this incident.
"We apologise for any inconvenience caused by closures in the area. We're doing our best to open roads and liaise with affected businesses and properties in the area to allow access wherever possible. If a local property owner or business needs access or advice, they can approach fire service staff or police officers at the scene.
"Where roads have been closed and traffic cones are in place, it is vital drivers do not remove cones or drive over the hose reels on these roads as doing so can damage our equipment and affect firefighting activities.
"We also ask that homes, businesses or those travelling through the area keep doors and windows closed as a precaution for the time being."
