From the BBC
More than 40 firefighters have tackled a blaze at a disused factory in Birmingham.
The fire on Holyhead Road, Handsworth, started just before 05:00 BST, West Midlands Fire and Rescue Service said.
The A41 Birmingham Road had to be closed earlier between Halfords Lane and Middlemore Road.
Jim Sinnot, from the fire service, said wood and cardboard inside the factory was ablaze and investigations into the cause are now taking place
From The Coventry Telegraph :
The cause of a blaze which saw a 10 metre high fence engulfed in flames in an alleyway behind the LTI factory is this morning being investigated.
Fire crews spent more than two hours tackling the inferno last night which lit up the night sky.
The fire started around 8pm and crews didn't leave until 11pm.
The alleyway is between the factory in Holyhead Road and Duckham Court and the fence acts as a sound barrier between the two.
Pictures have emerged of the fire lighting up the night sky.
New details are emerging this morning of what happened last night.
Stay with us for the latest updates and the morning news and travel.
KEY EVENT
As daylight emerged this morning, it was clear what damage had been done to the fence.
It is clear from the video how much of the fence has been burnt to a shell.
Piles of debris have now been left on the ground where it fell.
Sparks fly from flames during blaze
Sparks were flying from the flames which were reaching dizzying heights above the houses.
The fence was ten metres high, and there has been a lot of damage to the fence.
KEY EVENT
Remnants of the fence this morning
The first pictures of the damage done to the fence are emerging.
Around 15-20 metres in width has been burnt to a shell.
There is debris around the site and the cordon which has been set up by fire service is still in place.
Some of the beams are hanging off the frame of the fence.
Firefighters at work
Firefighters worked for more than two and a half hours last night to bring the blaze under control.
Two crews were on scene, one from Binley and one from Coventry - good work to the firefighters who stopped it from spreading.
The second photo shows sparks flying as the fire dies out and remnants of the fence can be seen.
We have reporter Enda Mullen live from the scene.
KEY EVENT
The fence is already well ablaze by this point but with their quick work, they tackle the growing flames.
How high is the fence?
The fence which has gone up in flames is in fact around nine to ten metres high.
Flames from the blaze towered over the houses on the estate behind the factory at the height of the fire.
08:48
The flames have engulfed the area and were reaching heights higher than the houses.
No roads are closed
Although the alleyway is closed, there are no road closures in place that we know of.
We have a reporter going to the scene this morning where we will find out what damage has been done.
Alleyway cordoned off
The alleyway where the fire started is this morning cordoned off.
It is currently being treated as a “hazardous area”.
Watch Commander Forrester said: “We have this morning cordoned off the alleyway where it happened.
“There are metal beams which are hanging down and although they are secure, if there is a big gust of wind they could potentially cause serious injury.
“It is cordoned off as a hazardous area and whoever responsible for the fence will be clearing it up later today.”
KEY EVENT
Fire treated as suspected arson
A fire which broke out behind the LTI factory in Coventry last night is being treated as suspected arson.
Coventry Fire Station’s Watch Commander Ry Forrester told the Telegraph this morning that the fire started in an alleyway between the LTI factory and the housing estate behind it.
He said: “We got there just minutes after the first crew arrived.
“It started in an alleyway between the housing estate and the LTI factory, but the ten metre fence caught fire.
“We are treating it as arson.”