Up to 90 firefighters have been tackling a “major fire” at a sawdust mill in Lancashire.
The blaze started about 09:00 BST on Tuesday at Whitfire Shavings on Church Lane, Farington Moss, Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service (LFRS) said.
Fire crews started to reduce the blaze which spread to six warehouses storing “very flammable” wood shavings and compressed sawdust at about 14:00.
LFRS said there were no reports of casualties.
Plumes of smoke could been seen up to five miles away in Preston, said LFRS.
Lancashire Police has advised people to stay indoors and keep windows and doors closed due to the smoke and possible toxins.
Nine homes were evacuated as a safety precaution after it was confirmed that one of the buildings contained asbestos.
The fire is not being treated as suspicious.
Original source: BBC News