Several businesses have been badly damaged by the Nottingham Cattle Market Fire which burned for several hours on Sunday night.
The cause of the huge blaze is being investigated today by Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service, which says the incident was brought under control just after midnight.
Cattle Market Road and County Road were still closed on Monday morning as firefighters continued damping down hot spots at the site.
At the peak of the fire, at around 8pm, more than 100 firefighters were involved in tackling the incident and crews from Derbyshire and Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Services were called in to help.
Video from the scene shows the early part of the fire burning in the area of a bed sales businesses.
This is the view of the Cattle Market fire from the top of the Jury’s Inn Hotel. Fire crews from Derbyshire and Leicestershire are now fighting the fire too pic.twitter.com/MeoG7iaw43
— Notts TV (@Notts_TV) November 4, 2018
One woman who saw the flames shortly after 6pm and dialled 999, said: “We were driving home down meadow lane and saw some flames and thick black smoke coming from inside the cattle market. Initially thought it was a bonfire but when passing the gates to the market, could see it was a building on fire.
“We stopped the car and called the fire brigade, turned around and went into the cattle market and watched from there.
“The fire brigade were on scene in about 10 mins. The building was mostly burnt down by then and the flames were spreading to the neighbouring building on the left hand side.”
People living nearby were asked to keep doors and windows closed during the blaze as a plume of smoke began to blow in the direction of the city centre.
Firefighters said the blaze was made harder to tackle by the presence of gas canisters in some of the units, which could be heard exploding at the height of the blaze.
. @nottsfire are using water from the Nottingham Canal to help tackle the fire at the Cattle Market. The incident commander’s advising you to stay away from the Meadow Lane area pic.twitter.com/fiJeVQHZF0
— Notts TV (@Notts_TV) November 4, 2018
Crews also used pumps to get water from the nearby Nottingham canal to help fight the flames.
An investigation into what caused the fire is expected to start on Monday. Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service said on Sunday night it was too early to say what may have started it.
No-one is thought to have been seriously hurt, although several premises were evacuated including an exotic pet businesses, which had to move animals to a neighbouring unit as the risk of the fire spreading increased.
