Around 70 firefighters are tackling fire at a chemical processing plant in Peterboat Close in Greenwich, south-east London.

Residents of Greenwich have been advised to keep their windows closed after fire ripped through a chemical processing plant. Firefighters from 12 crews were called to the blaze, off the approach to the Blackwall Tunnel, at 3.27am. London Fire Brigade said it was trying to find out the cause of the fire, but assured that the 80 metre-long building was “well alight”.

“Our firefighters worked extremely hard to contain the fire, which damaged around half of a big industrial unit. Heavy smoke spread throughout the area and as a precaution, we have asked people to keep their doors and windows closed”, said Assistant Commissioner Dany Cotton.

Many people on Twitter reported hearing an “air-raid siren” going off that could be heard across the area from 3.30 am. ”Have had no sleep all night, because of that fire in Greenwich was there really any need for the alaram to go off for 5 hours!!”, one resident wrote on Twitter.

Another, Sarah Hemming, posted, “Up from 3.30am to 6am with air raid siren going off and smell of acrid smoke. Chemical factory fire nearby. Grim.” ”You can’t see your hand in front of your face. It is like a smelly fog”, Dave told BBC London. Later, the fire brigade said the source of the fire was a chemical processing plant, but the smoke was not thought to be harmful.

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