AN INVESTIGATION has been launched to try to establish the cause of a massive factory blaze at the weekend.

The fire, at the Kimberly Clarke warehouse site at Crete Hall Road, Northfleet, broke out on Saturday evening, and was still alight well into yesterday.

The blaze has now been put out but crews were still there today damping and cooling down the area. The cause has not yet been established but fire chiefs and police say arson has not been ruled out.

More than 120 firefighters were involved in getting the blaze under control. Six pumps were originally sent to the site but this was increased to 15 pumps within an hour.

The fire started just before 7pm on Saturday evening and smoke could be seen as far away as London.

Hundreds of people flocked to the area and watched in disbelief as the building, measuring about 400 by 400 metres burnt, to a shell. A huge column of smoke towered above the fire.

Three ground monitors and a water tower were used by firefighters. The blazing warehouse stands alongside a unused factory and is used for storing paper products.

A Kent police spokesman said: “Luckily there was no one in the building at the time of the fire, apart from the night watchman who escaped the blaze. The wind was blowing towards the river Thames so there was no immediate danger to other buildings close by.”

Sam West drove to Northfleet after seeing the smoke at his home in Welling. He said: “We thought at first it was a boat fire on the river and because of the amount of smoke we made the journey to see what was happening. I have never seen such a huge fire.”

KM-fm's Conor Lennon has more...