This was the scene on Sunday as a huge fire on Merseyside billowed into the sky.
Pictures taken from drone footage show the full extent of the fire at Remondis in Prescot which was seen as far as 40 miles away.
And this morning, the thick black smoke from the Carr Lane warehouse raged on as firefighters continued to tackle the blaze.
Emergency services have worked through the night to pump water onto the fire, which was first reported at 6am on Sunday. The cause of the inferno is still unknown.
Remondis is a German company that processes chemicals including paints, oils and cleaning products.
Smoke from the hazardous waste site was seen as far as Lytham St Anne’s with residents taking photographs of the blaze and posting them on social media.
YouTube: Merseyfire
People living in the area were advised to keep their windows and doors closed.
Residents with pre-existing medical issues or concerns about the effect of smoke on their health were advised to contact the NHS 111 service or their GP.
However Knowsley Council have released a statement today reassuring members of the public that there was was no risk to health as a result of the fire.
The facility, which processes both hazardous and non-hazardous waste, was controversially approved by Knowsley Council in 2013 but faced opposition from the Liberal Democrats and the Green Party, as well as residents.
Campaigners have called the fire “an environmental disaster”.
A spokesman from Knowsley Council said: “The priority for responding agencies was to contain the fire and assess any risk to the public. This was carried out throughout yesterday.
“All agencies will now be working with the owners of the site to identify the cause and consider any action requited to maintain public safety.”
JMU Journalism contacted Remondis but the firm was not available for comment today.
