Fifteen firefighters tackle factory blaze
Fifteen firefighters battled with a blaze that swept through a derelict Wolverhampton factory during the early hours of this morning.
Crews from Merridale Street, Fallings Park, Bilston, Willenhall and Tipton were called into action at 1.40am.
They found that fires had been started at several different locations among rubbish strewn across the third floor of the three storey factory in St James Street, Eastfield that has stood unused for many years.
There was also evidence of a cannabis farm on the same floor but police said this was the remains of a drug factory they had discovered and dismantled some time ago.
Firefighter Robert Willis from Merridale Street said afterwards: "Thick smoke was coming out of the top of the building when we arrived. We deployed rolling relays of crews wearing breathing apparatus to deal with the incident because it was a hot night."
Fire crews were still damping down six hours after the start of the blaze that gutted the third floor and is thought to have been started deliberately. Police are waiting for fire officers to complete their investigation before taking any further action.
