Firefighters are battling a major fire at an industrial estate in Washington, with huge plumes of smoke visible for miles. The Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service (TWFRS) has sent a large response to the incident on the Crowther Industrial Estate.
Residents Advised to Stay Indoors
People living in the area were alerted to the incident when they saw smoke from their windows. In an initial statement, residents were advised to take care to avoid the smoke by closing their windows and doors when possible.
At 7.30pm, TWFRS posted this message on social media: "We are dealing with an ongoing fire in the Crowther Industrial Estate near the A1. There is smoke in the area, please keep windows and doors closed."
Fire Service Response
In an update just after 8.30pm, the fire service confirmed that six of its appliances remain in attendance on the scene, with the incident ongoing.
This comes after a previous fire at a different building in the same industrial estate which took place on Friday, July 31. In that instance, witnesses reported hearing 'several explosions and loud bangs', with it taking several hours for the fire service to extinguish the blaze.
For further updates, and to see how the incident unfolded, you can visit our dedicated live blog here.
