Smoke from 'colossal' UK fire visible from space

A plume of smoke billowing from a burning English recycling plant is so high and thick that it was spotted by a NASA satellite.

More than 1000 tonnes of tyres are burning at the Newgen Recycling Plant in Yorkshire after an "absolutely colossal" blaze broke out at the facility on Thursday morning, reports BBC News.

Fourteen North Yorkshire fire crews were dispatched to tackle the inferno, along with extra crews from surrounding districts, according to MSN UK.

North Yorkshire's fire chief Nigel Hutchinson predicted the fire "will go on for days".

He said the cause of the disaster is not yet known.

Nearby residents were advised to stay indoors and keep their doors and windows closed, but health authorities said that had been no reports of people suffering because the smoke plume was too high up to be a significant danger.

An eyewitness told BBC Radio the fire is "absolutely colossal. It's like a tornado when you look at it close up, with the heat swirling and all the rest. It's absolutely amazing."