Paint factory fire in north London has nearly 100 firefighters battling for hours in order to restore normality

London was struck by a major fire once again after a paint factory in north London went up in flames, needing close to 100 firefighters to tackle it.

Reports from eyewitnesses claimed that there were explosions and fireballs “shooting into the air” from the factory, which is located on Waterloo Road in Staples Corner.

The London Fire Brigade confirmed that 15 fire engines were sent to the scene of the blaze, near the North Circular Road, and also stated that the workers of the factory were able to depart the site in a safe manner before the crews even arrived. The cause of the fire is currently under investigation.

The crews themselves were called into action at around 21:20 on the 8th January, and it took firefighters a few hours to control the blaze, with this happening at around 00:22.

People were urged to avoid the area completely, while those living in close proximity were told to keep their doors and windows shut, especially as the smoke and flames could be seen from miles away.

Such was the extent of the fire, that the fire service revealed that their control room had taken 99 emergency calls in relation to it.

The brigade said: “Firefighters worked tirelessly to stop the fire spreading. They will be at the scene throughout the night damping down pockets of fire.”