Ripley Close Normanton fire: Dramatic drone footage captures huge blaze at Wakefield industrial site
Dramatic drone footage has captured towering plumes of thick black smoke rising into the sky over Normanton as a fire ripped through a large commercial unit.
The footage, shot by Stephen Eastwood, shows bright orange flames leaping from the site yesterday (August 11), with a column of smoke visible for miles around.
It was the result of a blaze at a property on Ripley Close that was reported shortly before 4.30pm.
West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service said that crews worked to protect neighbouring commercial units, with six crews in attendance.
There was also a specialist aerial appliance and multiple support units at the scene.
Firefighters were joined by teams from Northern Gas Networks, Yorkshire Ambulance Service and West Yorkshire Police as part of the response.
Emergency crews remained at the site for some time, battling to contain the flames and limit damage to surrounding businesses.
In the video, captured from above, huge clouds of smoke swirl into the air. The sheer scale of the fire meant it could be seen across the district, prompting residents to share images and videos on social media.
At the time of the statement, the fire service had not confirmed the cause of the blaze.