Tottenham fire latest: firefighters still battling massive warehouse blaze

Firefighters were today still fighting a huge blaze which broke out at a warehouse in north London.

Some 140 firefighters and 25 fire engines – nearing the numbers who battled the Grenfell tower fire – were called to the fire in a warehouse and storage units in Tottenham last night.

Dramatic images and video footage this morning showed plumes of smoke drifting across the sky which were visible from miles around.

Onlookers described the blaze at St George’s Industrial Estate in White Hart Lane, around a mile from Tottenham Hotspur’s ground as “terrifying.”

A hazard zone was put in place around the fire because of the fear cylinders inside could explode.

Local residents were advised to close their windows due to smoke but homes were not evacuated.

Residents reported power being lost from nearby buildings as the flames spread.

One person has been taken to hospital with burns as a result of the blaze, the London Ambulance Service said.

Firefighters said after midnight 140 firefighters were at the scene and half of a single storey warehouse and storage units were alight.

Carmel Samuels, 19, who lives next to the blaze, said it had broken out in a warehouse.

She said: “At first I smelt burning, thinking someone in the house had burnt a slice of toast, then I heard loads of sirens pulling up and and looked outside my window.

“To my surprise I saw a heavy dark cloud coming from St George’s Industrial Estate and a lot of my neighbours running towards it.

“The fire spread to more than one warehouse.”

Wael Qutub, 32, an aviation photographer, said: “It was really frightening, I was right close to it. The plastic smell was horrible you could taste it for miles around. Even though it was dark the fire lit everything up with these huge black clouds.

“There were so many firefighters but it was still expanding. It’s really worrying because there’s a petrol station right close to it that could set it off again.”

Sam Kazmanli, station manager for the London fire brigade, said early this morning: “There is a lot of smoke in the air. As a precaution, local residents are advised to keep their windows and doors closed.

“Crews will be working hard through the night to bring this blaze under control.”

The cause of the fire was not yet known and fire investigators were not expected to start searching for the cause until the fire was completely out.