A major fire has erupted near Cardiff’s Principality Stadium, with locals urged to keep their windows closed.
The blaze began in a sheltered housing unit opposite the 74,500-seater stadium in the early hours of Tuesday morning, which cause major damage to the property.
Firefighters have urged people to stay away from the area as they battle the blaze, which is located in the Fitzhamon Embankment area in the Riverside area of the city and opposite the city centre stadium.
Residents for miles around the scene to close their doors and windows as plumes of thick smoke emerged, with people as far back as Cardiff Bay reporting smoke drifting into their homes.
A resident living on the other side of the River Taff told Metro he was alerted to the fire by a friend around midnight.
‘I kept hearing fire engines and there were fire cranes pouring water on the stadium.’
No one was hurt after the blaze broke out at around midnight but large parts of the building – including the roof – were badly damaged.
A statement from South Wales Fire and Rescue said: ‘In attendance in Riverside, Cardiff. Smoke travelling to Cardiff Bay area. Keeps doors and windows closed.’
Fire crews left the scene after getting it under control but said officers would return for checks and to carry out an investigation into the cause.
Holly Chadd, who was staying at the Holiday Inn opposite, said the blaze broke out as she went to bed.
She said: ‘I was staying at the hotel and as I went to bed, there were lots of red and blue lights opposite.
‘I couldn’t see the fire so I thought it must be a huge police operation. I decided to go out side and walk to the river. From there it was easy to see the fire and the amount of work the fire brigade were putting in to tackling the blaze.”
One person living in Cardiff Bay, said: ‘We could smell the smoke from inside at 2am even with the windows shut here. You can see the smoke lingering in the sky this morning.’
Another living in Cardiff central said: ‘I can smell a huge amount of smoke.. The smoke is thick, and it’s drifting across Cardiff.
‘It looks like there’s a fire somewhere in the city of Cardiff. Please close your windows and put on air purifiers (if you have them).’
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