Industrial Fire Forces Motorway Closure
A motorway has been closed and residents have been advised to keep their windows and doors shut due to smoke emanating from a significant industrial fire.
Firefighters responded to the incident at Ty Menter in Navigation Park, Abercynon, Rhondda Cynon Taf, according to South Wales Fire and Rescue Service on Monday.
The smoke is impacting visibility on the A470 motorway as well as affecting nearby residential areas.
Eyewitness Accounts Describe Intense Flames
An eyewitness reported observing a "tornado-like" flame above one of the buildings prior to a roof collapse.
Zach Bennett, a 19-year-old local business owner, noticed a plume of smoke rising above the trees and decided to investigate further by driving closer to the scene.
"I wanted to get some pictures and was just being nosy," he said.
"A lot of people must have had the same idea because there were more people driving towards the fire than away, which was peculiar."
Upon arrival, Bennett observed staff members gathered at muster points around the buildings that were engulfed in flames.
"Above the peak of one roof there was a tornado-like kind of flame and then being windy it was going very high," he explained.
"The fire brigade was spraying water but then the roof collapsed and they let it burn."
Concerns Over Impact on Training Centre Staff
Bennett noted that Ty Menter was being utilized as a training centre at the time of the fire, raising concerns about the potential effects on those working there.
