Kidderminster fire: Blaze believed to be accidental as units and cars left gutted
This is the devastating aftermath of the fire that ripped through an industrial unit in Kidderminster yesterday, which is thought to have started accidentally.
Twisted and burned metal could be seen inside the Horsefair building along with the shells of gutted cars.
The premises involved in the fire contained three business units. One was 100 per cent destroyed by the fire, the second 50 per cent destroyed and the third has no known damage at this point.
The cause of the blaze is believed to have been a welding process which ignited flammable liquid. Investigations are still ongoing.
One employee suffered burns when he tried to retrieve welding equipment.
Four crews stayed at the site overnight while one crew from Hereford and Worcester remained at the scene damping down the last hot spots this morning.
The fire is completely extinguished and all surrounding roads are now open.
Two jets, four breathing apparatus, two ground monitors and an aerial monitor were used to extinguish the flames.
Police officers marshalling traffic wore face masks to protect them from breathing in smoke from the blaze.
Councillor Steve Harrington said the fire was devastating for the area and that the priority would now be to repair and rebuild the factory where possible.
John Reynolds, a worker at nearby Kwik Fit, said the blaze had started to escalate very quickly.
He said: "I had just got back from my lunch and looked out the window to see the smoke coming from the factory. Next thing I heard loud explosions. It was all a bit chaotic."
