By Melissa Clark
A FIRE raged through an industrial warehouse in West Lothian last night.
50 fire fighters tackled the blaze that started at 7.40pm at Lower Bathville, Armadale.
The fire broke out in the roof space of a derelict building and quickly spread to two other industrial buildings.
Lothian and Borders Fire and Rescue received 40 emergency calls from worried residents who lived in nearby houses.
Onlookers took to Twitter to post photographs of the enormous blaze.
Sparks, flames and thick black smoke could be seen bellowing from the buildings.
The fire and rescue team said in a statement that “plumes of black smoke and flames could be seen high above the row of three buildings, which had caught fire on the industrial estate”.
A spokeswoman for Lothian and Borders Fire and Rescue added: “There was a lot of smoke and a lot of flames.”
It is believed that wind caused the flames to increase and the fire to spread more rapidly.
Residents were warned to keep doors and windows closed as a precaution due to a possibility of asbestos in the buildings.
Fire engines, a turntable ladder and a mobile control unit assisted in controlling the fire and thick smoke.
Fire fighters wore breathing masks and managed to extinguish the blaze three hours later at 10.35pm.
Roads in the immediate area were closed to allow the five pumps and other specialist equipment access to the incident.
An investigation will be carried out today and continue to check for hotspots and clear away debris.
Nobody was injured in the blaze.
This fire comes one day after a fire at Camps industrial estate in East Calder, West Lothian.
35 fire fighters were called to the blaze when a large amount of wooden pallets were seen ablaze.
A “significant amount” of thick black smoke swamped the area.
People were warned by Lothian and Fire and Rescue to stay clear of the “immediate area” while the fire was being extinguished.
