Huge fire destroys Faversham Linen Services in Kent
About 60 firefighters have tackled a huge blaze that broke out at a commercial laundry in east Kent.
The fire, which gutted the Victorian building belonging to Faversham Linen Services, on Ashford Road in Faversham, started just before 04:00 BST.
It is not clear if the premises were occupied at the time, but Kent Fire and Rescue said there had been no injuries. The cause is under investigation.
Three homes had to be evacuated at the height of the blaze.
Sharon Austen, whose house is next door to the site, said firefighters had feared the blaze could spread to her property.
"I thought I was going to lose my house, and it [the fire] was literally about a foot away from the side of the house," she said.
The blaze at the building was so intense that it took fire crews nearly five hours to contain it.
Incident commander Martin Skeet said firefighters arrived on the scene "very quickly" but it was obvious they were dealing with "a very large fire" within the building that quickly spread into the grounds outside where a lot of laundry items were being kept.
Local residents were advised to keep their windows and doors closed, while the A251 Ashford Road between the A2 and M2, and the M2 coastbound exit slip road at junction junction six were closed for several hours during the morning rush hour.
Faversham Linen Services is a family-owned business providing services for hotels, restaurants, pubs, shops and care homes across Kent, Sussex, Surrey and south London.