Huge fire erupts sending black smoke billowing into the sky as locals told keep your ‘doors & windows SHUT’

A HUGE fire has erupted sending black smoke billowing into the sky -- with locals told to keep doors and windows shut.

Around 20 fire engines and 125 firefighters have scrambled to a burning warehouse in Rainham, Essex.

Half of the warehouse is alight and the road running past it has been shut off by cops.

Snaps show a huge volume of smoke billowing from the warehouse as firefighters work to put out the blaze.

The Sun understands that the windy weather is spreading the smoke over the neighbourhood.

Local residents have been urged to keep their windows and doors closed.

Firefighters are using two towering 32-metre turntable ladders to battle the fire.

The inferno broke out sometime before 10.21am, when the LFB's control room took the first of 27 calls.

A local told the : "I heard the popping sounds around 10.15am.

"Then black smoke was coming out of the top of the roof."

Crews from Wennington, Dagenham, Barking and surrounding fire stations have raced to the scene.

The cause of the fire is not yet known but no one is thought to have been injured, The Sun understands.