A major incident has been declared as around 150 firefighters have rushed to tackle a huge blaze at a London warehouse suspected to be storing fireworks.
Fire crews were called to tackle the flames on Bridge Road in Southall, west London, just before 9am.
Plumes of black smoke could be seen billowing across the skies for miles.
Loud bangs could be heard coming from the scene of the fire, which has broken out at a two-storey structure formed of a warehouse and retail space.
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London Fire Brigade confirmed at about 12.35pm it had declared a major incident.
It said crews had helped evacuate a nearby school and block of flats "as a safety precaution".
Assistant Commissioner Pat Goulbourne, the Brigade's Incident Commander said: "This decision has been taken due to the suspected presence of fireworks and cylinders being stored within the structure.
"All firefighters have withdrawn to a safe distance and are now fighting the fire from a greater distance to ensure crew safety.
"Firefighters are working hard to bring this fire safely under control.
"The incident involves a mixed retail and warehouse space, with a significant part of the structure currently alight.
"Due to the complex nature of the site, and the size of the fire, this will be a protracted incident with crews continuing out firefighting operations through the day."
London Fire Brigade said it had received more than 50 calls reporting the blaze
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The fire service has urged residents living nearby to shut their doors and windows.
Motorists have meanwhile been warned of traffic on nearby roads, with people advised to avoid the area if possible.
The cause of the fire is not yet known, London Fire Brigade has confirmed.
One local resident, Anya, said she thought the sound of "explosions" coming from the fire were "fireworks".
She told MyLondon: "I was doing my own thing and I kept hearing explosion sounds, and I’m so used to that sound because it's Southall and people have been doing fireworks, so I didn’t think about it as it’s day time.
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Residents have been urged to close their doors and windows due to smoke
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"Then I started hearing sirens and [more] explosions, much stronger than normal fireworks. And I looked and the warehouse had the biggest fire I've ever seen."
London Ambulance Service confirmed crews are in attendance at the scene but have not treated any patients so far.
A spokeswoman for the ambulance service said: "We were called at 9am this morning (November 25) to reports of a fire in Bridge Road, Southall.
“We sent an ambulance crew, a paramedic in a fast response car, an incident response officer and our Hazardous Area Response Team to the scene.
London Fire Brigade said around 75 per cent of the structure was alight
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“We are still at the scene alongside colleagues from the London Fire Brigade and Metropolitan Police Service.
“There have been no patients so far.”
Local councillor John Martin, who serves the Norwood Green ward on Ealing Council, advised residents to avoid leaving their homes if possible.
He said: "There is a serious incident at the industrial estate on Bridge Road. Emergency services are in attendance including London Fire Brigade.
"There is a lot of smoke so please do keep your windows closed and avoid going out if possible."
It is the second major fire to take place in Southall in recent days.
A man died following a house fire on the nearby Queens Road on Friday, November 21.
Emergency service crews rushed to the blaze at around 10.20pm.
The man received treatment from ambulance staff but was pronounced dead at the scene.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
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