Pictures posted by Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service show the devastation inside a building containing 50 tonnes of baled paper which went up in smoke at Biffa’s waste recycling plant in Coalville.
The blaze on Monday night at the Snibston Drive site saw 11 crews from across the county tackling the flames at its height.
An electrical fault is believed to have triggered the blaze which saw flames shoot 50 feet in the air.
Shortly after 6.30pm a bailing machine at the site caught fire, setting the baled waste paper alight.
Flames shot high into the air and there were loud cracks and pops as the fire sent sparks into the sky over Coalville.
Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service has posted these pictures, one showing how the ferocity of the blaze burned a hole in the roof, on its Facebook page.
Drone footage shows the scene from above, with firefighters continuing to damp down.
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