Factory wrecked by fire

Oct 7 2005 By Steve Johnson, Birmingham Mail

SCORES of firefighters battled to contain a fierce blaze which destroyed a Midland factory.

Flames and a huge pall of smoke leaped hundreds of feet into the air as the fire ravaged Midland Building Products, on the Spartan industrial estate, in Brickhouse Lane, Great Bridge, Tipton, last night.

Hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of damage was caused and the blaze was under investigation today.

West Midlands Fire Service Assistant Divisional Officer Alan Tranter said it was a spectacular blaze which could be seen from miles away.

He said: "At one stage we had 100 firefighters at the scene and the damage is extensive.

"The two-storey factory where the fire started makes door and window frames and fire doors, ironically, and the building and stock has all gone. The factory was surrounded by a row of other factory units but fire crews did marvellously to prevent any great damage to the neighbouring premises.

"We do not yet know what started the fire and the fire investigation team are going back to try to establish the cause".

Mr Tranter said the fire service received a large number of calls to the incident, which was reported just after 8.30 pm.