A BRIDPORT business has thanked the fire service for its 'efficient' and 'quick' response after a huge blaze tore through its storage unit.
About 30 firefighters from across the county rushed to East Road along the A35 last Friday afternoon after a unit at Bridport Self Storage caught fire.
Aerial photos show damage caused by the blaze which spread to the roof of the building near the Esso roundabout at about 3.30pm.
Large plumes of smoke could be seen billowing from the building, set back from the busy main road behind the autocentre.
Crews from Bridport, Beaminster, Dorchester and Weymouth raced to the scene and found a storage unit well alight within the business, which makes storage units available to rent.
Back-up was requested and further crews from Lyme Regis, Axminster and Weymouth were also sent to help to help bring the fire under control.
There were no injuries, according to the fire service.
Police attended to help with traffic management and scene safety as heavy traffic built up around the roundabout and up Sea Road North, while residents were advised to keep windows and doors closed.
A spokesman for Bridport Self Storage has paid tribute to the work of firefighters, who were on the scene fast to ensure the blaze did not spread.
"They responded very efficiently and quickly and got the fire under control in a reasonable time," he told The News. "They did an excellent job."
Bridport Self Storage also confirmed that nobody was on-site at the time of the fire, with a fire monitoring system alerting emergency services to the blaze.
It stayed contained to one individual section of the business' buildings and the spokesman added that it remains open.
One onlooker said: "I saw at least two fire engines at the industrial estate, there was a police car blocking the entrance.
"It was quite shocking to see a cloud of smoke over the industrial estate."
Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service said that the cause of the fire is unknown.
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