Russia: Hundreds of firefighters battle massive blaze at lubricant warehouse

More than 200 firefighters were at the scene of an inferno in the Russian city of St Petersburg, which was fanned by strong winds risking it spreading to nearby allotments. The blaze began at a 10,000m sq warehouse which is used to store lubricants and spare parts for vehicles.

Huge clouds of dense black smoke filled the sky in the Vyborg district of the city. A helicopter, 40 vehicles, and 240 firefighters were dispatched to tackle the blaze, which was ranked five on a five-point scale.

While there were no reports of major explosions, a series of smaller bangs were heard from the building, according to Russia Today. There have been no fatalities or casualties and meteorologists say the fumes from the flames are not a health hazard.

The Russian State Fire Service has more than 220,000 carry out more than two million operations a year, rescuing more than 90,000 lives, saving property valued at around ‎₽120bn (£1.26bn). Last year there were almost 140,000 fires in Russia, which killed over 8,500 people.