Massive Fire Engulfs Neasden Waste Centre
Emergency services deploy 125 firefighters as blaze disrupts London transport and prompts safety warnings.
Sarah Connor
Twenty fire engines and approximately 125 firefighters are battling a significant fire on Hannah Close, Neasden.
The London Fire Brigade advised immediate area residents to close their doors and windows, urging them to remain inside due to the heavy smoke.
The public also received warnings to avoid the area as the incident escalated, with over 70 emergency calls made to the brigade starting from 11.34am.
Transport services, including the Metropolitan and Jubilee London Underground lines, have faced disruption.
Video footage shows black smoke rising hundreds of feet above buildings; plumes were reportedly visible from miles away in central London.
The blaze is understood to have broken out at a waste and recycling centre in the Neasden area of north-west London.
The industrial unit on fire measures approximately 100m by 150m.
An Amazon delivery facility in the industrial estate has not been directly impacted, but staff were evacuated as a precaution.
An apparent explosion reportedly preceded the fire. However, the London Fire Brigade states the cause of the blaze remains unknown.