Recycling waste fire 'looked like a tornado'

A large fire at an industrial estate, there are flames and a large thick plume of black smoke coming out of the building. There are cars parked nearby. It is an overheard view of the site.

About 50 firefighters have been tackling a blaze on an industrial estate affecting about 500 tonnes of recycling waste.

Northamptonshire Fire Service was called to Earlstrees Industrial Estate in Corby shortly before 14:00 BST on Monday.

The fire spread to shipping containers at a neighbouring business, and four crews worked overnight and into Tuesday to extinguish and contain the blaze, the fire service said.

Chris Brooke, 24, from Stanion, could see the fire from Northampton and said: "It looked like a tornado coming from Northampton; as I was getting closer, it was just getting bigger and bigger."

A fire engine parked on the road and there is a large plume or grey/black smoke behind it
A large plume of thick black smoke rises into the air. There are homes around it and an industrial unit with 'Weetabix' on the side.

People living nearby have been asked to keep windows and doors shut.

At the peak of the fire, 10 crews and two aerial appliances were at the scene.

Four fire crews and one aerial appliance were at the site on Tuesday morning.

A man with a beard smiling at the camera. He is wearing a blue shirt and standing in front of a building with yellow lines to outline the windows

Lee Duffy, Reform UK councillor for the Lloyds and Corby Village ward, said he could see the smoke from his garden.

In a Facebook post, he said: "I've just been up there and am reliably informed by 'Fire Wardens' and 'First Aiders' that they believe nobody has been injured.

"Let's hope our emergency service personnel stay safe as they battle with what looks to the untrained eye to be a serious fire."

Gretton Brook Road remains closed, the fire service said.

A black plume of smoke rising into the air. There is a large industrial unit in the foreground.

Geoff Rhodes, 81, could see the fire from his home in Market Harborough, which is a town in Leicestershire about 14 miles (22.5km) away.

"It's a big old fire," he told the BBC.

"It looked like it was only a mile away from where we were.

"The smoke is horrendous; it blocked the sun out at one point."

A elderly man wearing a dark blue polo shirt and looking at the camera. He is standing in front of a green bush

Meanwhile, crews were also called to Kingsthorpe Golf Club in Northampton, after a blaze at the clubhouse.

Residents were asked to avoid the area.

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Original source Recycling waste fire 'looked like a tornado'

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