The neighbours of the huge warehouse fire in High Wycombe have spoken out about the 'shocking' ordeal. 

Business owner Nakia Ali received a call shortly before 3am on April 18 saying a fire had broken out in the factory next door to his workshop called Alis Beds and Carpets.

The fire broke out in the main building, while Mr Ali’s business is located in the smaller side building in the same factory yard.

He told the Free Press: “The fire took place in the main building, not our side of it. The fire brigade managed to save ours. There’s a lot of damage to the building next door – all the glass has been shattered.

“The fire brigade did a great job to save it from spreading to the neighbourhood, so it was a job well done of them.”

Watch the video below showing the fire crews at work to make the area safe. 

Although in shock, he was relieved the fire crews managed to save his van, although there was ash on the vehicle and his building.

However, the main building was badly hit.

“The other side – I’m looking at it now – everything’s destroyed.

“The machinery, they were waking a lot of lots of kitchen units and wardrobes and stuff like that but I can see now looking at the machines they’re probably worth £150,000 to £160,000.

“It’s all destroyed, the roof collapsed so there’s nothing there, it’s all burned off and the glass is shattered,” he said.

He said the owner of the destroyed business was “in shock” and was being supported by family and friends.

“We’re just trying to get the full story of what caused it and we’re waiting for the fire brigade to get back to us.

“It could be the battery from the forklift,” he added.

After hours of work by the fire crews on the scene, thick smoke was still seen billowing into the air in the afternoon.

Strong winds pushed most of it away from High Wycombe town centre to the direction of Adam’s Park.

One officer said only residents were let through the cordon to get to their homes as there was asbestos at the site.

Fire crews were seen wearing masks and some had white protective suits on top of their firefighting outfits.

Omar Yousef’s home is separated from the factory only by a narrow lane.

After waking up by the sound of the emergency services around 3am he was worried the fire could spread to his home.

He said: “We were told to keep windows shut and the neighbouring flats on the side of the building were emptied.

“They do a lot of woodwork and one guy was working inside when it happened but he got outside where I saw him.

“It was scary.”