Southampton warehouse blaze: photos reveal extent of damage
A warehouse near St. Mary's Stadium was destroyed in the fire
Last updated 7th Mar 2024
People are being urged not to touch ash and debris from a severe fire which has destroyed a warehouse near St Mary's Stadium in Southampton.
The blaze broke out at industrial units in Melbourne Street on Central Trading Estate at around 1.00pm on Wednesday.
Southampton Football Club were forced to postpone their Championship match with Preston due to the fire.
Firefighters said they were dealing with a "deep-seated" fire in the warehouse as they continued to pour water on "hot spots" on Thursday afternoon.
Incident commander Mark White from Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service, said: "We are hoping at some point today we will be able to extinguish the fire completely.
"However in some areas it is really deep seated and there are areas that are very difficult to reach due to the partially collapsed nature of the building."
Road closures remained in place on Thursday afternoon and people were urged to avoid the area.
Southampton Football Club said a rearranged date for the postponed Preston fixture would be announced in due course.
Supporters are awaiting a decision on whether Saturday's game with Sunderland at St Mary's will go ahead.
Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service said 100 firefighters attended the scene at the height of the blaze.
Plastic pellets stacked on wooden pallets were involved in the fire.
Because of a change in wind direction on Thursday morning, the fire service said people previously unaffected may now be seeing and smelling smoke.
A spokesperson said: "Our advice remains that people in affected areas should keep their windows closed."