A MASSIVE fire broke out at a plastics recycling plant sending plumes of thick black smoke into the air – visible from more than 20 miles away.

Eight fire crews and two aerial ladder platforms were drafted in to battle the blaze in Park Road, Padiham, yesterday afternoon.

ABOVE: Video of the fire by YouTube user Lawrence Clift.

Smoke could be seen billowing above as the town and from as far away as Samlesbury, Ribchester, Blackburn and Colne.

Witnesses also reported seeing flames climb to more than 100ft.

It came after the fire service announced that it was planning to remove one of the two retained engines from Padiham.

Residents living close to the site were warned to keep their windows and doors shut over concerns the smoke could be toxic.

Witness Gary De-Maine, 43, said: “It was pretty scary to watch.

“The flames were massive. They were easily 100ft high.

“They were towering way above the trees. I have not seen anything like that before.

“The smoke was going straight up and luckily there was not a breeze because if there was, it could have been quite nasty.

“It really was billowing out. Hopefully, everybody got out ok.”

Coun Joanne Greenwood said she could see the blaze from her home in Hapton.

She said: “I drove past the fire and I could see thick, black smoke.

“It was absolutely billowing out and you could see it from miles around.

“From my house, I could see the flames licking up at the smoke.

“It was a huge fire and I have never seen anything like it before.”

Park Road and Station Road were closed to allow the fire service to get to the blaze, causing traffic chaos for commuters during the rush hour. Cars were said to be covered in black ash.

Brendan Taylor-Morris, who was at the scene, said: “It was bedlam.

“The traffic was backed up from Padiham and went up Blackburn Road, Green Lane and Thompson Street.

“There were hundreds of people watching too.

“I could hear quite a few sirens and there was a police dog handler trying to move cars on Green Lane for the fire engines.

Witnesses also took to social networking sites to express their shock at the blaze.

Georgia Garrigan said on Twitter: “Omg this fire in Padiham is massive. Looks like a volcano!”

And Norman Mackenzie tweeted: “Big fire at a recycling plant so much that you can see a huge plume of black smoke.

“Another environmental disaster #padihamfire.”

Andy Coulton, crew manager at Burnley Fire Station, tweeted: “#padihamfire those living in vicinity please keep doors and windows closed.

“Please avoid the area where possible.”

A spokesman for Lancashire Police said: “We were called at 3.53pm to assist the fire service.

“A cordon was put in place involving Park Road and Station Road in their entirety.”

ABOVE: Video from Lancashire Telegraph reader Paul Matty shows smoke rising from the scene of the fire