A massive fire which caused devastation on an industrial site and was so big smoke could be seen across the North West was caused by an accident, investigators believe.
The blaze, which sparked chaos yesterday afternoon with train cancellations, road closures, and people told to stay indoors, began at a plastics recycling firm on the Sankey Valley industrial estate, on the border of Newton-Le-Willows and Earlestown.
It caused huge damage to Venture Polymers where 20 engines rushed to the scene at about 11am on Wednesday.
The ECHO can reveal the cause of the fire is accidental, experts currently on site have said, with no evidence to suggest a deliberate ignition.
This afternoon, startling new photographs showed the scale of damage left behind by the inferno, which could be seen as far away as Wales.
Images showed blackened ground and charred twisted metal as firefighters remained on scene, damping down sections of the site.
The official cause of the fire will be determined in due course, but Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service are confident there was no foul play.
A spokesman said: "The cause of the major fire yesterday is believed to be accidental, with no evidence to suggest any deliberate cause."
At its height, residents living nearby were told to stay indoors and close all windows as a major incident was declared by police and fire bosses.
Such was the severity, particularly during lockdown, that an immediate multi-agency meeting took place between Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service, Merseyside Police, Network Rail, United Utilities, St Helens Council, the Environment Agency, British Transport Police, the British Red Cross and NHS England.
A similar meeting was being held today.
There were fears people's medical conditions could be exacerbated by the acrid smoke, as those affected were advised to keep medicines close by and contact medics urgently if needed.
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Water pressure at homes nearby was at risk of being affected due to the huge volumes being used by firefighters to tackle the inferno.
It took about 11 hours to extinguish the flames, which were out by 10.30pm, as the huge plumes of black smoke became a big talking point across the region.
Initially, the blaze involved a large quantity of plastic crates and a small brick building as crews battled with extreme heat as they faced the flames.
A caravan site was also evacuated by police.
ECHO readers across the region also reported being able to see the blaze from Walton, Warrington and the M6 motorway.
Ade Stanley Olszewski, who lives in Hope in North Wales, could clearly see the fire from his home almost 50 miles away.
Network Rail closed a number of lines, between Newton-le-Willows and Huyton as timetables were cancelled or revised.
