A major fire in a Norfolk village could have been a lot more severe had it not been for the efforts of the fire fighters who were able to rapidly get the flames under control.
The small village of Scarning was rocked by small explosions on Monday when a fire broke out in an agricultural building on Park Farm.
The building was packed with hazardous materials and one witness described the fire as 'like a building full of fireworks'.
A total of 60 firefighters fought back the sky high flames for almost two hours, while thick black smoke could be seen from more than a mile away.
They were faced with having to extinguish the fire as quickly as possible while also containing it to prevent it from spreading to nearby chemicals and gas canisters.
Stephen Woodcock, who lives at an adjoining cottage, called the fire 'horrendous' but said it could have been much worse.
While the firefighters used a combination of foam and water to fight the fire, specially trained Hazmat teams were also working with officers from the Environment Agency to prevent dangerous chemicals from mixing with water and reaching a nearby stream.
They also ensured that none of the chemicals were able to reach the water supply through the drainage process.
'The building contained fertilisers, diesels and gas canisters, none of which were compromised, and our environment officers liaised with Norfolk Fire & Rescue Service Hazmat officers to ensure the run-off, foam and pollutants were contained and the environmental impact from the fire was as low as possible,' said a spokesperson from the Environment Agency.
'The Fire Service had contained the run-off, foam and pollutants extremely well and they prevented any from entering the nearby stream which led to the River Tud and a nearby site of special scientific interest.'
The following day the Environment Agency took to social media to thank Norfolk Fire Service, calling their efforts a 'great example of agencies working together'.
No one was injured in the blaze and the fire service was able to stop the flames from reaching buildings that housed livestock.
An investigation is currently underway to determine the cause the fire.
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