THE massive plume of smoke from the Buncefield oil depot explosion blackened skies across the High Wycombe area after the blaze erupted on Sunday, December 11.

The explosion which rocked Hemel Hempstead and shocked the surrounding towns and villages caused a fire which lasted for three days and took 180 firefighters to get it under control.

The explosion was so intense that Bucks Fire and Rescue service reported a man in Prestwood was insistent that the explosion happened there.

A High Wycombe security guard was knocked unconscious in an office block next door as the depot exploded.

Raheel Ashraf, 26, from Plumer Road said: "As far as I could see, all of the building around me had been blown away and I was sitting practically on the edge of the concrete ceiling."

Two fire crews from Buckinghamshire, along with 14 others, spent three days tackling the fuel depot fire.

Foam carriers from Aylesbury and Olney travelled to a holding bay close to Hemel Hempstead on Sunday, while the Hertfordshire fire service gathered resources from across the country, before launching its assault on the flames.

On Monday Stokenchurch fire station sent a 4x4 MOG vehicle to Hemel Hempstead.

Fraser Pearson, a spokesman for Bucks Fire and Rescue Service, said: "A MOG is roughly the same size as a regular fire engine, except that it has a 2km hose reel which is able to carry a large amount of water from streams and canals directly to the fire.

"Fighting fires with foam requires a massive amount of water, much more than usual."

As the giant cloud of smoke grew people rushed to the petrol pumps fearing a shortage in fuel supplies which never materialised.

Meanwhile, changing weather conditions during the week, coupled with the firefighting offensive, sparked fears that smoke coming from the depot may have deposited large quantities of soot, causing potential health problems for the people living under the cloud.

On Monday the Government's Health Protection Agency advised people living close to the incident to stay indoors with their doors and windows shut to help reduce smoke exposure.

Twenty-nine schools in Bucks within a ten mile radius of the depot shut on Monday, all of them in the Chiltern district.

All the schools were closed on the Tuesday after the blast but reopened the following day after the county council was given the all clear.

Council officials gave residents reassurances that the air pollution in the area had not increased since the fire started.

Wycombe District Council regularly carries out air pollution checks across the district.

Preliminary results from their town centre monitoring station suggest that pollution levels in the aftermath of the fire did not exceed the Government's air quality guidelines and is continuing to monitor the situation and follow Government guidelines.

Meanwhile in Chiltern District, the council reported that nitrogen dioxide air pollution was "low" and particulate level was "medium" on Wednesday.

Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott told the House of Commons on Monday, December 12, that the explosion was having little impact on local health services.