Plumes of smoke darken London skyline for miles after huge fire

A column of thick black smoke is rising from an industrial site where carscaught fire in east London.

The fire appears to have broken out at a scrap metal yard on Willoughby Drive near Dagenham around 2pm today.

No one appears to have been injured in the fire, which spread through scrap metal and several vehicles.

At least 10 fire engines and 70 firefighters arrived on the scene with a 32-metre turntable ladder after around 50 calls reported the fire.

They have now brought it under control, but the flames have not yet been fully extinguished.

Gas cylinders at risk of exploding were removed in case they overheated. The cause of the fire is not yet known.

Station Commander Mel Anderson said: ‘This is a very visible fire and it is producing a lot of smoke.

‘We advise people in the area to keep their windows and doors closed. We also request that drivers avoid Rainham Road South with road closures in place whilst this incident is ongoing.’

Scrap yard fires are common due to the accumulation of flammable material on site.

Just two weeks ago, a plume of smoke cast a shadow over Altrincham Retail Park in Greater Manchester after a scrap yard caught fire.

It took hours for firefighters to get control of the flames.

Charred piles of tyres and wires, the skeletons of cars, even the remains of an ambulance, continued to smoulder for hours more.

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