Fire crews are still in Brent Cross trying to put out a blaze which saw parts of the M1 motorway closed due to billowing smoke yesterday afternoon.

https://twitter.com/LondonFire/status/852454582735089664

A dozen fire engines, 80 crew and two helicopters scrambled to a large fire at a builders’ merchant in Brent Park Road, on Wednesday afternoon at 3.45pm which took nearly five hours to control.

They were still there on Thursday morning to “dampen down” pockets of fire.

A wood workshop measuring around 100 metres by 20 metres was badly damaged by the blaze.

There was traffic chaos as two lanes of the M1 motorway were closed on Wednesday afternoon as helicopters tried to tackle the fire from above.

The train line between Hendon and Cricklewood was affected by the fire which also disrupted commuters on the East Midlands and Thameslink train services.

Station manager Stephen-Remell Coleman, who was at the scene, said: “This was a large, challenging fire and crews worked extremely hard to bring it under control as quickly as possible.

“Around three quarters of the workshop was affected and at its height the fire was producing a considerable amount of smoke so we advised people living and working in the area to keep their windows and doors closed as a precaution. Crews will now remain at the scene for some time damping down the fire.”

He added: “The brigade worked closely with its partners in the Metropolitan Police, London Ambulance Service, the rail network, train companies and Transport for London to bring this incident to a close.”

The emergency 999 control officers took more than 20 calls to the fire which was under control by 8.24pm

Fire crews from Hendon, Stanmore, West Hampstead, Hornsey, Wembley, North Kensington, Willesden and Barnet fire stations are at the scene.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.