Few could have missed the huge cloud of black smoke over Kidderminster last Wednesday. The fire at the industrial units in Park Street were called in as a major incident by the police.

Any fire in an industrial unit is incredibly dangerous. By their nature, there are a lot of fire hazards within these buildings – acetylene and oxygen welding cylinders, Calor gas bottles, other chemicals, and a whole host of flammable liquids and solids. For those fighting these fires, it creates huge risk to all concerned.

I spent Friday morning with Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service chief fire officer Jon Pryce looking over the smoking remains. It is extraordinary how much damage fire can do. The heat – around 600 degrees – buckles metal and fractures masonry. The fire jumped a 20 foot gap to a second building, housing a number of smaller units. Cars and vans parked nearby had, in some cases, started to melt. In others, they were burnt out. And all around was the detritus of the fire.

Over 40 vehicles turned out, including around 30 fire engines. They came from neighbouring fire services to support the local crews. This in itself shows how brilliantly the fire services across the country both work together, and plan for these big events. The police were hugely important and an air ambulance was on standby just in case.

The result was a successfully contained fire that mercifully resulted in no casualties and no loss to anyone’s home. It was put out as fast as possible and when I visited, the truly epic task of clearing up was getting underway.

First and foremost is making sure the chemicals are contained. Thousands of gallons of water sprayed over the flames will inevitably wash chemicals into the drains and the Environment Agency work with the Fire Service to protect the environment.

But the saddest thing of all is looking across the wreck of many people’s livelihoods. A lot of business owners and their staff will be waiting to get access to the site and start the process of claiming on insurance. They will have to rebuild their businesses.

There is never a good outcome to a fire, but I never fail to be awestruck by those people who run towards danger when the rest of us run away, doing their best to keep us safe. We owe them so much.