Large parcel centre fire causes huge smoke plume

All businesses near the fire were told to evacuate by Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service

Businesses near a large fire at a parcel centre in Staffordshire have been urged to evacuate as dozens of firefighters tackled the blaze.

Ten fire engines were sent to the blaze at Super Smart Service on Cley Road, near the A460 Orbital Island in Cannock, at 06:15 GMT, the fire service said.

The blaze sent a huge plume of smoke into the sky which was visible for more than 20 miles around including in the centre of Birmingham, according to people posting on social media.

Firefighters could be at the warehouse for at least the next two days due to the size and scale of the fire, the service said.

Thick black smoke rose from the badly damaged warehouse

Residents were urged to close their windows and doors and nearby businesses were asked to evacuate.

No-one was in the parcel distribution warehouse when the fire started, a spokesperson for the fire service confirmed.

Members of the public were told to avoid the area if possible.

Deputy chief fire officer Glynn Luznyj said by about midday on Thursday firefighters were still tackling a "significant" fire involving a building which was 38,000 sq m (45,448 sq yd) in size "similar to two football pitches in terms of its area."

He said the site was fully evacuated when the fire was discovered.

"Since then we've had an operation which has operated defensively to make sure that we fully contain the fire, stop any further spread and mitigate the impact from the large smoke plume that's coming as a result of the fire," Mr Luznyj said.

Deputy chief fire officer Glynn Luzny said he expected fire crews to be at the scene for at least the next two days

Due to the scale of the fire, operations would be ongoing for at least "another couple of days" Mr Luznyj added.

"We would just urge residents if they can stay away from the immediate area, that would be really helpful.

"We expect the situation to gradually improve."

Sainsbury's on the nearby Orbital Retail Centre said its store remained open. The centre is home to other retailers including Marks & Spencer and Boots.

Electrical Test Midlands on Blakeney Way said it was closed on Thursday for safety reasons due to the fire.

A huge plume of smoke was sent into the sky by the fire

One resident, Oscar, described seeing "too much black smoke" and police closing the road when he arrived at his office nearby at 08:00 BST.

"We're waiting to see if we're allowed to go in or I might just go home," he said.

Another resident told BBC Radio WM she knew about the blaze at 06:30 BST.

"It's a bit chaotic," she said. "There are huge plumes of very dark grey smoke billowing."

"All I know is it was evacuated and there's no one inside, no one's been hurt. That's the only thing we care about at the moment."

Scorch marks could be seen across the Cley Road building

The UK Health Security Agency urged people affected by the fire to stay indoors, keep windows and doors closed and if driving nearby, turn off air conditioning and keep air vents closed.

The plume of smoke from the fire in Cannock was visible in the centre of Birmingham, more than 20 miles away, social media users said

One nearby resident posted on social media and said they had heard "loads of explosions" from the blaze as well as the noise of the fire engines.

Another user on X wrote that he had heard a "series of explosions" before the fire.

According to its website, Super Smart Service was established in the West Midlands in 2015 and opened its Cannock warehouse in 2019, creating more than 300 jobs.

The firm said it provided warehousing and distribution services for online sellers and at full operational capacity it could process and dispatch 70,000 parcels each day.

Firefighters from Staffordshire, Shropshire and the West Midlands were sent to the scene

Buses were diverted due to the incident with operator Chaserider posting on social media: "Due to the incident at the Orbital Retail Park we are having to divert service 3 via Lichfield Road, Cannock Road, Hednesford Road and Walsall Road.

"We are also unable to serve Jerome Road, meaning we will using Bettys Lanes and Red Lion Lane."

The fire was not affecting railway services and trains were still running through the area, West Midlands Railway said.

West Midlands Ambulance Service said it was called by the fire service at 06:36 BST but stood down its staff when they were told they were no longer needed.

Mark Degg said he took this picture of the smoke plume from Stoke-on-Trent