Eight fire engines fight blaze while police plan to search scene once flames are out and area made safe

One person is missing and at least four others have been injured after an explosion at a fireworks factory. Residents described hearing a loud bang, before a huge fire ripped through the warehouse in Stafford on Thursday night.

Police said two men suffering from serious burns and smoke inhalation were taken to hospital, while two women were treated by paramedics at the scene. A spokeswoman said a fifth person is unaccounted for.

Photographs on Twitter and a video on YouTube showed a dramatic scene, with fireworks shooting out of the building and thick plumes of black smoke. One resident, Brian Little, said: “The flames were sky-high. For 45 minutes to an hour it was horrendous and you could not help but watch it.”

Five fire engines attended along with specialist equipment after the alarm was raised at 5.15pm. Staffordshire fire and rescue said three more engines were sent later, as fire crew struggled to control the blaze. It said a nearby rail line was kept open, but trains were being driven along it cautiously.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest This YouTube video from Jacob Wilcox (@Lord_Willcox) shows the violence of the fireworks factory blaze.

West Midlands ambulance service said it had sent four ambulances, a hazardous area response team, four emergency doctors, five paramedic officers and two rapid response vehicles.

Superintendent Jane Hewett from Staffordshire police said “At this stage police and fire are working to establish the cause of the explosion, sSadly we currently believe one person remains unaccounted for and police are working to support their family. We are currently arranging for a search of the scene tomorrow [Friday] morning once the fire has been extinguished and the scene made safe. The cause of the explosion remains unclear at this point.”

Officers evacuated several houses and urged people living nearby to stay indoors and keep their windows closed. Several roads were closed off.

The fire caused a roof to collapse and affected five businesses within one industrial unit, according to local newspaper reports. West Midlands Ambulance service spokesman Steve Wheaton told Sky News: “This is a fireworks factory and there are chemicals and things so we are not entirely sure yet what we are dealing with.”

Police said the firework warehouse was SP Fireworks, on Baswich industrial estate. Its website suggests it is owned by Stafford Plastics Limited, a family-run business which is currently in liquidation according to company records. The website says it supplies fireworks for garden and professional displays for retail and wholesale.

Onlooker Mike Hillman said he was watching from Tixall Road. He tweeted: “massive fire, loads of smoke this way … Hoping everyone is OK over there, looks like it has spread down the whole row of units on that side of the estate.”

Christina Harrison told BBC News: “At first it was just a lot of smoke, all around, and the visibility was sort of minimal and then my friend said, ‘oh, something’s falling on my head’, and then it turned out to be ash that was falling on us.

“As we got closer the smoke got worse and worse and you could just hear explosions and fireworks going off.”