Staines fire horror as massive plume of thick black smoke engulfs tower block
The plume of black smoke could be seen towering above the town, with people told to "let the emergency services do their job" as the incident unfolds
A fire has broken out in Staines central, with a massive plume of smoke visible above the town for miles around.
Locals have taken to social media to share pictures of the towering funnel of smoke this afternoon, with the incident creating a haze over the sunny area. X account Staines-Upon-Thames, which provides information about the local area online, said there is a "big fire" at the moment.
The account reported: "Big fire in #staines at the moment, please avoid Staines to allow the emergency services to do their job." Others have posted online with similar accounts, with one showing the smoke can be seen all the way from neighbouring Kingston. Video footage posted from the scene by X user @tom_hide shows the thick plume ejecting matter into the blue sky.
The fire can be seen rising above a tower block ( Image: jwm1891/Twitter)
Speaking to the Mirror, eyewitness Jon Warburton said he was "passing through the town centre" when he saw the building on fire, adding he saw engines from Surrey, with London and Berkshire units aiding the effort.
Further pictures from closer to the scene show the smoke coming from a local tower block, with social media reports claiming the building was "under construction". One account reported: "Massive fire on a tower block under construction in Staines." Another video posted by a user who was nearby the building showed flames emanating from the top of the building.
They wrote: "Just watched the scaffolding come down and now it’s on fire. Not keen to go back into the office right now." Another account added: "Huge fire broken out in Staines town centre. Looks to be from the rooftop of the new flats being built."
X user @_Travelwithdan said the tower block in construction was on Elmsleigh Road. One social media user said they heard an "explosion" outside of their home before seeing the smouldering building.
They wrote: "Just heard a huge explosion outside my house - a tower block under construction down the road is now up in flames in Staines Upon Thames." Speaking to Surrey Live, one eyewitness at the scene said they had spoken with emergency services. Timothy Garza said officials are now at the scene alongside fire crews, who are tackling the flames.
Eyewitnesses saw fire engines from multiple services at the scene ( Image: Jon Warburton)
In a statement, Surrey Fire and Rescue Service told people to avoid the area while crews work on the flames. The spokesperson said: "We received a call this afternoon around 12.30pm to a report of a fire at the former Tothill Car Park, Elmsleigh Road, Staines-upon-Thames. Crews remain at the scene tackling the fire. Please can you avoid the area if possible and we ask residents to keep their windows shut."
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