A popular UK shopping centre has gone up in flames, with emergency services seen swarming the area.
Fire crews were battling flames at the Lakeside Shopping Centre in south Essex, with Car Park A currently closed, earlier today.
Three crews were on the seen, from Brentwood, Grays and Corringham, with videos from the scene showing that the top of the huge car park was billowing with thick black smoke. The cause of the fire has not yet been determined.
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It was confirmed at 4.05pm that the fire had been extinguished, but the extent of the damage has not yet been discovered.
Social media was filled with images of the blaze in full flow, with one on Twitter/X showing the entire domed roof of one part of the car park totally blackened and burned to a crisp.
The actual shopping centre was not impacted by the fire, and it remained open the entire time, although a message on the centre’s website states that “Car Park A is closed”.
A spokesman for the fire service said: “Firefighters were called to Lakeside Shopping Centre in Thurrock at 2.52pm after reports of a fire in the roof of a multi-story car park. Crews from Grays, Corringham and Brentwood were sent to the incident.
“On arrival, we confirmed it was a fire in the stairwell of the roof. Crews extinguished the fire by 3.25pm.”
And Watch Manager Danny Harper said: “Crews have done a great job, and have quickly stopped the fire from spreading further. We believe the fire started in the stairwell on the roof. Luckily there are no cars on this level so no vehicles have been affected. An investigation will now be carried out into the cause of the fire.”
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