More than 50 firefighters tackle large blaze on the Bede Industrial Estate in Jarrow

Firefighters from Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service (TWFRS) were called to a building on the Bede Industrial Estate at around 12.30am on Sunday, July 2.

The fire covered an area bigger than 10,000 square metres, with a total of 10 appliances being dispatched to the area to bring the blaze under control.

TWFRS has confirmed that at the height of the incident, 52 firefighters were involved as the Service deployed two aerial ladder platform vehicles and a drone unit.

Crews worked through the early hours to bring the fire under control, with two appliances remaining on the scene on dampen down any hot spots or embers.

Lynsey McVay, Assistant Chief Fire Officer, attended the scene and has praised the efforts of fire crews to prevent the fire from spreading to other buildings.

She said: “This was a significant fire that was creating a lot of smoke and spreading very quickly due to the materials that were within the unit itself.

“Our staff had to act quickly to get the fire under control and our Fire Control staff did a great job mobilising the right crew and resources to the scene.

“It has been a large operation throughout the night with more than 50 firefighters attending the scene to get the quick spreading fire under control.

“There has been significant damage to the units affected but it has been contained to one premises and those crews in attendance did a fantastic job.

“We will have a presence on the scene throughout Sunday and we would continue to ask residents in the area to keep your doors and windows shut due to smoke that remains in the area.

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“We will be supporting the police with any investigation into the fire but I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone involved for their fantastic work last night, including our partners who helped facilitate our operation.”

The fire was so large that TWFRS had to issue a warning to local residents to keep their doors and windows closed, as well as avoiding the immediate area.

TWFRS has stated that nobody is unaccounted for at the time of writing and there is no evidence to suggest that anyone was in the building during the time of the fire.

The Fire Service has confirmed that an investigation into how the fire started is now underway alongside Northumbria Police.

Chief Superintendent Neil Hutchison, of Northumbria Police, added: “I would like to thank the officers who attended, the fire service and partners from the local authority.

“This was a great example of different organisations working together to support the fire service in bringing this large blaze under control.

“I would ask residents to continue to listen to the advice of the fire service and keep your doors and windows shut.

“We are committed to working alongside the fire service to ascertain the cause of the fire and whether it was malicious.

“Those enquiries are very much ongoing, I urge anyone who may have information about what caused this fire to contact us.”

It is also understood that officers have cordoned off the site and it is expected to remain in place for the entirety of Sunday (July 2).