STAFF at a warehouse on the Ferndown Industrial Estate were examining the wreckage of a dramatic fire on Thursday.

A male employee discovered a large fire had taken hold of the building in Haviland Road when he opened the doors of the main warehouse at around 5pm. The building was evacuated and more than 50 firefighters were sent to tackle the blaze.

Peter Coupland, spokesman for Schiedel-Isokern - the chimney component suppliers where the fire took hold, said: "We were all very lucky, it could have been a lot worse. The damage isn't as bad as we had first feared. Most of the materials here are not flammable - the only flammable material was cardboard and packaging."

Fire appliances from all over the county were called to the blaze, including the high-rise appliance from West-bourne, which was used to check the extent of damage after flames broke through part of the roof.

Divisional Officer Steve Shuck said: "This was a serious fire that threatened this building and the surrounding ones. The prompt efficient actions of the fire crews on the scene restricted the damage to the warehouse area.

"The fire took hold fairly quickly and when we arrived smoke was billowing out the place. There was a risk of it spreading to a neighbouring building."

And he said firefighters worked hard to salvage as much stock as possible.

Mr Coupland said around six staff members were on site when the fire broke out and said they had been frightened of the extent of the damage when they saw the massive attendance from the fire service.

The cause of the fire is under investigation but firefighters believe it was an accident. No-one was injured in the blaze and the company's insurer was yesterday assessing the extent of the damage - although it is not thought to have caused massive structural damage.

DO Shuck said this was a good example of adequate evacuation procedures and he is urging other businesses in the area to take note. He added: "The message for all businesses and their staff is clear - does everybody know the fire drill and are all the fire exits clear?

"As we approach Christmas many businesses increase their stock - a blocked fire exit could cost lives."

First published: November 5