Demolition of Bilston industrial units destroyed in blaze

Flames rose more than 100ft into the air when fire raged on November 20. It caused the estate to come to a standstill, with dozens of workers sent home and more than 80 firefighters controlling the flames, many of them for up to 18 hours.

The structural damage caused was so severe that investigators from West Midlands Fire Service had been unable to enter the building's shell until recently. It is hoped the cause of the blaze will also be known by next week.

Five firms based at the site in Oxford Street saw their premises reduced to rubble, with the damage estimated to run into hundreds of thousands of pounds.

One business alone has been forced to come to terms with more than £50,000 worth of destroyed stock.

Eleazer Ikpeze, from Hill Top, West Bromwich, has been in limbo since the fire destroyed his business, All Appliance Centre, which he had run from the units for seven years.

As the fire service investigation was on hold and no cause of fire has been determined yet, Mr Ikpeze's insurance claim has been affected and he is unable to salvage his business until it comes through.

He said: "I hope soon might be the end of all of the speculation and waiting and they finish their investigation of the cause of the fire so we know where to go from here.

"At the moment I have not been doing anything, I can't do anything without money. I had no money stashed away for savings and stuff – whatever I make is paid back to the business, that is why the business has been growing."

The uncertainty and loss of business means this Christmas has been particularly hard, he said, and he has been unable to buy gifts for his family.

Mr Ikpeze, aged 41, has lined up a temporary site in Darlaston which he hopes to have up and running early next year, and plans to retain as many staff as possible. The business employs nine people full-time and five temporary staff.

He said: "I will do whatever I can to make sure everyone is happy. It is really difficult, they all believe in me and they all love working there."

West Midlands Fire Service spokesman Matt Smith said the log on the fire had been re-opened when it was deemed safe for crews to be back on site.

On the day of the fire, police conducted a sweep of the site, while firefighters were forced to wait until it was safe to check inside for any casualties.

Residents living around the area were warned to stay inside their homes and keep their windows and doors closed as thick smoke bellowed into the sky.

Initially, three crews had responded to the call, but reinforcements were called to the estate after they saw the full extent of the blaze, before thousands of gallons of water had to be pumped onto the estate from a nearby canal using a high-volume pump.