AN investigation has started into the cause of an industrial fire which damaged part of a large commercial unit.

The blaze started in the heat processing plant of Deritend - Doncasters Precision Castings, Droitwich, at about 2.30am yesterday.

Firefighters from Worcester, Droitwich, Bromsgrove, Kidderminster and Stourport attended the incident on the Berry Hill Industrial Estate after reports of people on the scene thought to be shift workers. Nobody was injured.

Crew used breathing apparatus and water jets to tackle the fire and brought in the aerial ladder platform from Worcester.

The flames got into the building’s internal gas intake lighting the vapour while chemicals stored on the site also had to be dealt with.

Alec Mackie, Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service spokesman, said: “We had a busy night.

“We were on the site for a considerable amount of time but it is out and there will be an investigation both by ourselves and the business owners.”

Crews were still damping down the site yesterday morning and one appliance was still at the scene in the afternoon.

A spokeswoman for parent company Doncasters Group, said: “Night shift employees were in the building and all quickly and efficiently evacuated, following the emergency procedures.

“Doncasters is now launching an investigation into the incident to understand exactly what happened and how.”

She added all other on site operations were continuing as normal.

The northbound carriageway of the A442 Kidderminster Road had to be closed because of the building fire between the A38 Roman and Wassage Way South but later reopened.