Massive blaze rips through shopping centre as roof collapses and residents are told to keep their windows shut

A massive fire has ripped through a Leicestershire shopping centre, with its roof collapsing and residents being instructed to keep their windows closed.

Firefighters were dispatched to Thurmaston Shopping Centre, on Thorpe Lane, Barkby, following reports of a fire at around 4am on Saturday.

Footage from the retail center shows the fire engulfing many stores; Retailers including Greggs, Mountain Warehouse and M&S remained closed throughout today.

Video footage showed black smoke billowing into the sky from the center as emergency services moved to bring the fire under control.

At the height of the fire, eight fire trucks, two aircraft and more than 40 firefighters reportedly arrived at the scene.

As a large plume of smoke formed in the area, residents living nearby were told to keep their windows and doors closed.

While the cause of the fire has not yet been determined, it is stated that the roof of the Mountain Warehouse was severely damaged.

Jordan Slack, who lives a few streets away from the area, told LeicestershireLive he was ‘shocked’ by what he saw.

Firefighters rushed to Thurmaston Shopping Center on Thorpe Lane, Barkby, after reports of a fire at around 4am on Saturday morning.

He said: ‘I went downstairs to go to the gym this morning but obviously it was closed.

‘Photos of the fire came from local WhatsApp groups around 5 in the morning. I was shocked.

‘When I first saw the photos, I thought the fire would engulf the entire shopping centre, but thankfully it was stopped before it grew any further.’

Another resident, who lives nearby and often visits Thurmaston Shopping Center to go to the gym, said he thought the fire would engulf all the stores in the area.

Michael, 40, said: ‘When I first heard about the fire I was quite worried because it looked really bad; as if there would be nothing left of the mall.

‘It’s never a good thing to see something like this. This will certainly hurt the community and businesses in the area as the mall now has fewer stores for people to visit.

‘Also, when you have a big store like M&S nearby you will definitely find fewer people visiting the shopping centre.’

Michael said he was impressed with the fire department’s quick response to the fire and was grateful for their efforts.

He added: ‘I’m so grateful to the fire brigade because I’ve been told they arrived very quickly and they seem to have the situation under control now, so thank God for them.

‘There was definitely fear of the fire spreading throughout the shopping center as all the stores were so close together but thankfully the fire crews were here in time.’

Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service incident commander Joe Rollestone confirmed six units at the center were affected by the fire.

He said: ‘We received a call just after 4am this morning. We initially sent two teams, and ultimately eight devices and two aerial ladders were sent.

‘When we arrived the roof and rear of the store were involved in fire, so crews brought in eight appliances in total.

‘Crews worked hard to control the fire and six units were affected. They managed to get this under good control.

‘There is various damage to all six units affected and an investigation has been launched into the incident.

‘Crews are currently dampening the affected area and ensuring the fire does not spread to other units.’

Four fire trucks remained in place and an aerial ladder was used as firefighters worked to ensure the fire was completely extinguished.

The fire department will also open the center’s parking lot, which is currently closed in the area. Barkby Thorpe Lane has reopened to traffic.

Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service said it had no indication of what started the fire and handed the investigation over to Leicestershire Police.