Large fire breaks out at Byfleet storage unit overnight
- Published
Surrey Fire and Rescue Service remain on the scene after the fire broke out on Thursday evening
A large fire has broken out at a storage unit, with 10 crews initially sent to the scene, Surrey Fire and Rescue Service said.
The blaze started just before 21:00 BST on Thursday at the Access Self Storage unit on Oyster Lane, in Byfleet.
Local residents are being asked to keep doors and windows closed.
Nine crews and three aerial ladder platforms are attending the blaze, and the fire service says it expects to remain on the scene throughout the day.
Large plumes of smoke could be seen in the area, and the A318 Oyster Lane was closed in both directions.
It is unclear if the fire has spread to adjoining buildings.
Plumes of smoker were visible for miles around
Glyn Parry Jones, incident commander at Surrey Fire and Rescue Service, said: "We got called to an automatic fire alarm at a self-storage unit.
"The fire started in a self-storage unit, but there's also a car workshop and a builders merchant attached to the building."
He told BBC Radio Surrey: "The building has been severely damaged by fire. Efforts are currently being made to prevent any further fire spread."
He said the fire had caused some structural damage and crews were having to fight the fire from outside the building.
"There are areas of the building we're struggling to get to. It's going to take considerable time to extinguish the [fire]," he added.
The fire service says it expects the blaze to burn "for some time"
Mr Parry Jones said local residents should remain indoors, with doors and windows closed.
He also asked motorists to avoid the area.
An investigation is underway to determine the cause of the fire, but no-one was inside the building which houses the self-storage unit, Mr Parry Jones said.
He said the fire service would also be speaking to those who rent self storage units to find out what was being stored there.
Pride in Surrey, a group which organises local LGBTQ+ events, tweeted , externalabout the fire, saying it stored outreach and event equipment at the storage unit.
The said: "We are bracing ourselves for total loss. The unit housed lots of sentimental items that forms our history, along with most of our assets that reduce the cost of pride year on year."
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