Fire crews move in to tackle blaze

Fire crews moved in to battle one of EuropeÕs biggest industrial blazes on Monday - an inferno at a fuel depot north of London - after being held back for 24 hours by heat and environmental worries.

The fire broke out shortly before dawn on Sunday after a wave of explosions ripped through the depot at Hemel Hempstead, injuring 43 people.

Police said the blasts, which blew out windows and doors from nearby houses, appeared to be an accident.

On Monday, the area immediately around the Buncefield depot was a charred wasteland of burnt out cars, shattered trees and scorched grass.

A huge plume of thick, black smoke rose higher than 3,000 metres as it drifted southwest.

But contrary to initial fears, there was no indication that it was either highly toxic or coming back down to earth.

ÒAt the moment it appears to be mostly particulate (soot),Ó said Michael Clarke
of the independent Health Protection Agency.

The blasts, heard up to 160 kilometres away, had initially raised fears of a possible repeat of the deadly wave of suicide bombings in London in July.

Fire fighters spent Sunday night discussing with environmental authorities how to tackle the blaze with fire-quenching foam without polluting local water supplies.

ÒThis is the largest fire of this kind we in the United Kingdom or Europe have dealt with,Ó HertfordshireÕs Chief Fire Officer, Roy Wilsher, told reporters on Monday morning. ÒWe are in uncharted territoryÓ.

The depot supplies petrol and fuel oils to a large part of southeast England, including Luton and Heathrow airports.

A government spokesman said that when full, the depot holds five percent of
the countryÕs oil supply.

Officials said the explosions were unlikely to cause fuel shortages and urged motorists to avoid panic buying of petrol.