Footage from the scene shows the large fire which has engulfed a building in Bridgend
By Catriona Aitken, Dan Moffat & Jack Grey
BBC News
A large fire has broken out at an industrial estate in south Wales.
Billows of smoke and bright orange flames can be seen rising from Bridgend Industrial Estate.
The blaze broke out on Friday evening and appears to be at Kingsway Buildings in the industrial estate, with local residents hearing a “large bang” at about 20:00 GMT.
One eyewitness told the BBC the fire appeared to have “taken out” the entire building.
Several emergency service vehicles are at the scene.
Abby Bolter, who lives in Bridgend, said she heard a “large bang” adding: “I heard people shouting and assumed it was fireworks, then I saw the fire.
“Smoke must be 200ft in the air.”
Image source, Jordan Robinson
The fire appears to be at Kingsway Buildings on the site
Courtney Lamont-Hughes, 18, said she was driving past the industrial estate when she spotted the fire.
“We were driving down the dual carriageway on the opposite side, we pulled in and came round to the main side of the fire,” she said.
“It looks like a massive building, lots of offices, it’s taken out the whole building.
“The police and fire service told us to stay back.”
Image source, Courtney Lamont-Hughes
Emergency services are at the scene of a large fire in Bridgend
She said she had seen at least five fire vehicles, as well as police and the ambulance service and the area had been evacuated.
Lee Whitfield, 34, was also driving in the area at the time and added: “I’ve never seen anything like it, I could literally feel the heat from the fire from the car.”
A staff member for Formaction Limited – which has units that appear to be affected by the blaze – told the BBC they were aware of the fire, but had “no idea” how the blaze had started.
“It will be made clear over the next few days,” they said.
A nearby business, Viking Removals and Storage, posted on social media to say it had “avoided any damage”.
“Thank you to the fire service who physically dragged our vehicles away from any harm,” it wrote.
“If you’re storing with us, rest assured, your stuff is still ok.”
South Wales Fire Service said it was alerted to the scene at 20:23 GMT and that there were 10 fire engines on the ground.
It said the building was “well alight” and the cause of the blaze was so far unknown.
It added there were also eight other appliances present including aerial platforms and turntable ladders. “Crews are still dealing with the fire,” a spokesperson said.
The Welsh Ambulance Service said it had attended the scene but no injuries have been reported.
“We sent one operations manager and one hazardous area response team to the scene,” it said in a statement.
