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Recycling waste fire 'looked like a tornado'

News imageJim Darrah A fire engine parked on the road and there is a large plume or grey/black smoke behind it Jim Darrah
Northamptonshire Fire Service and Northamptonshire Police were both at the scene of the blaze

About 50 firefighters and 10 crews have been tackling a blaze on an industrial estate affecting about 500 tonnes of recycling waste.

Northamptonshire Fire Service was called to Earlstrees Industrial Estate in Corby shortly before 14:00 BST.

Chris Brooke, 24, from Stanion, could see the fire from Northampton and said: "It looked like a tornado coming from Northampton, as I was getting closer, it was just getting bigger and bigger."

People living nearby have been asked to keep windows and doors shut.

News imageShannen Godwin A large plume of thick black smoke rises into the air. There are homes around it and an industrial unit with 'Weetabix' on the side.Shannen Godwin
Crews were called to a fire in Corby in Northamptonshire

Two aerial appliances from Northamptonshire have been at the scene, and Northamptonshire Police have been assisting with road closures and crowd control.

News imageA man with a beard smiling at the camera. He is wearing a blue shirt and standing in front of a building with yellow lines to outline the windows
Chris Brooke said he saw smoke from the fire when he was leaving work in Northampton

Lee Duffy, Reform UK councillor for the Lloyds and Corby Village ward, said he could see the smoke from his garden.

In a Facebook post, he said: "I've just been up there and am reliably informed by 'Fire Wardens' and 'First Aiders' that they believe nobody has been injured.

"Let's hope our emergency service personnel stay safe as they battle with what looks to the untrained eye to be a serious fire."

Road closures are in place at Rockingham Road, Princewood Road, Corby Road and Phoenix Parkway. There is also no access to Gretton Brook Road, the fire service said.

News imageBlueHummingbird2638 A black plume of smoke rising into the air. There is a large industrial unit in the foreground.BlueHummingbird2638

Geoff Rhodes, 81, could see the fire from his home in Market Harborough, which is a town in Leicestershire about 14 miles (22.5km) away.

"It's a big old fire," he told the BBC.

"It looked like it was only a mile away from where we were.

"The smoke is horrendous; it blocked the sun out at one point."

News imageA elderly man wearing a dark blue polo shirt and looking at the camera. He is standing in front of a green bush
Geoff Rhodes, 81, said he could see the blaze from a different county

Meanwhile, crews have also been called to Kingsthorpe Golf Club, Northampton, after a blaze at the clubhouse.

Residents have been asked to avoid the area.

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