Fire destroys roof of industrial unit in Chard

Crews shuttled water to the scene to pour over the fire from above

A fire has ripped through an industrial unit housing a lithium ion battery manufacturer, destroying its roof.

Crews were called to Leach Road in Chard, Somerset, at about 06:00 GMT, to a "well-established" fire. It has since been brought under control.

The fire service said the roof had part-collapsed on another unit, and a gym next door had also been affected.

About 60 firefighters worked to put out the blaze, using an aerial platform to tackle it from above.

The building was deemed unstable so crews had to withdraw and fight the fire defensively.

Dan Taylor, from Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service, said: "[The fire] is all but extinguished, but we do have numerous hotspots.

"Unfortunately, due to the structure of the building, we are unable to go inside so we are fighting externally."

At its height, 60 firefighters worked to put out the blaze

Crews are expected to remain at the site until mid-afternoon.

"There's not much smoke but there is a lot of steam. The smoke was initially very thick and acrid," he said.

"We have no idea what started this fire but we are investigating."

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