AN INQUIRY has started to determine the cause of a major fire which belched thick black smoke, feared to be toxic, into the Sussex sky.

East Sussex Fire and Rescue opened an investigation yesterday into how Thursday evening’s dramatic blaze at Light Bros scrapyard in Southerham near Lewes started.

Fire crews, who arrived at the scene at around 7.30pm on Thursday, continued to work until 3pm yesterday to dampen and make safe the burning mountain of 200 tonnes of scrap metal.

People were warned on Thursday to keep doors and windows closed as clouds of acrid smoke drifted across the county, visible more than 20 miles away from the site of the blaze.

It has now been confirmed by the South East Coast Ambulance Service that no injuries have been reported in connection with the blaze. Paramedics from the Hazardous Area Response Team attended the scene in support of the fire brigade.

The A27, which was closed in both directions between the Southerham and Beddingham roundabouts at 8pm on Thursday as smoke and burning debris poured across the road, was finally reopened at 7.15am yesterday.

At the height of the fire there were 11 fire engines in attendance, plus a command unit and two bulk water carriers.

Incident Commander Matt Elder said: “Our crews did a fantastic job in getting this large and deep-seated waste fire under control in particularly hot and arduous conditions.

“Everyone worked extremely hard in highly demanding conditions and we ensured that they were kept well hydrated throughout tackling the incident and well rested afterwards.”

The location of the fire has now been clarified to be Light Bros waste management site at Greystone Quarry. Nearby Lewes Recycling Centre was not affected.

In a statement on its website, Light Bros praised the hard work and professionalism of the fire brigade and said none of its machinery had been damaged. It said the business would be “fully operational” from Tuesday.

A spokesman for the business told The Argus he could not confirm any further details.

Sussex residents were alerted to the fire as the sun was setting on Thursday as thick dense clouds of black smoke poured up into the sky.

The plume could be seen from as far away as Worthing and in Brighton the air was acrid with the smell of burning plastic and electrical components.

Initial fears that the fumes could be toxic had calmed yesterday with police saying it was “not believed to be of any significant risk to health” but Public Health England was not available to confirm whether it would be looking into any health effects.

A spokeswoman for East Sussex Fire and Rescue confirmed the cause of the fire was still unknown and no evidence of arson had been found.

She said: “In situations such as this the advice for residents in areas affected by the smoke is to stay indoors and keep their doors and windows closed.

“Any smoke can be an irritant and as such, if people need to be outdoors, they are advised to avoid or limit the time they spend in outside areas affected by smoke.”