Giant flames were seen flaring from a construction site at Chester Zoo after a welder set fire to plastic while making animal cages.
Thick black smoke and 20ft flames flickered from the site off the A41 Moston Road, Upton were workers are constructing the £30m Islands extension project for the zoo.
At just before 5pm on Wednesday (March 5) emergency services were called to the construction site, close to where a giant crane can be seen from the roadside.
Two fire engines from Chester fire station attended the blaze, said to have been caused by a welder who set fire to plastic by mistake.
Watch manager Richie Gerrard said: “There were flames 20ft up in the air and black smoke coming out when we arrived.
“It was put out in a matter of minutes.”
No one was hurt in the fire, which was on the site which will soon be home to hundreds of animals.
Chester Zoo spokeswoman Rachael Wheatley said on Wednesday: "We can confirm there was a small fire on the Islands site this afternoon.
"The fire is believed to have started in a pipe within the structure of the Monsoon Forest building. The fire was out within minutes and there were no injuries to contractors on the site.
"There are no animals on the Islands site currently. We would like to thank Cheshire Fire Service for their assistance."
