PHOTOS: 33 years since huge plastics factory fire in Mansfield Woodhouse

It was 33 years ago on May 6, when a huge fire broke out at B&J Parr plastics factory in Mansfield Woodhouse.

The blaze, which was so enormous it could be seen from Sheffield, led to more than 100 local people being evacuated from their homes.

At its height, 160 firefighters from across Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire were called in to fight the fire – described at the time by a senior officer as one of the worst he had ever seen.

The noise of exploding containers was heard for several miles and local residents were warned to stay in their homes in case the fumes were toxic.

Luckily, nobody was injured in the fire, which took firefighters several hours to extinguish.

Here’s a selection of pictures from the blaze, as provided by Mansfield Fire Museum.

For more information about the museum and how to visit, see mansfieldfiremuseum.org.uk

Mansfield Fire Museum has one of the largest collections of fire service memorabilia in the country.

The museum is located in the former Nottinghamshire Fire Brigade Training School which is at the rear of Mansfield Fire Station on Rosemary Street.