FLAMES and smoke poured from the side of a major power station where a fire broke out today.

The emergency services were alerted just before 2pm to the incident at the coal-fired Ferrybridge C Power Station.

West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service said 15 crews were tackling the blaze at the landmark power station beside the M62 and A1.

The fire service said no-one was injured in the blaze which has affected the third floor of a four-storey building.

"A number of members of the public have called our control room due to the plumes of smoke which can be seen in the surrounding area," a fire spokesman said.

The site beside the River Aire is operated by the energy giant SSE, and it has run three power stations since 1924. The current one has operated since 1966.

According to the SSE website "Ferrybridge C has two 198m (650ft) high chimneys and eight 115m (380ft) high cooling towers, which are the largest of their kind in Europe".

An SSE spokesman said: "At around 2pm today a serious incident occurred at SSE's Ferrybridge C power station in West Yorkshire.

"The Company's practised emergency response procedures have been activated.

"West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service are in attendance and dealing with the incident with assistance from expert engineers on site.

"All personnel have been been accounted for and no injuries have been reported at this stage.

"It is too early to give any more information regarding this incident; however, we will issue a further statement when more details become available.

"Our immediate priorities are to deal with the incident and to ensure the safety of staff, contractors and the general public."

The site has undergone major changes recently in the light of the EU's Industrial Emissions Directive, which aims to reduce pollution.

A 65MW multi-fuel plant was expected to start generating power next year.

The fire had no impact on electricity supply as the plant was on summer shut down, a National Grid spokeswoman said.

"They were not generating onto the grid so it is not going to affect our operations at all," she said.

The fire service said a structural engineer had been "notified" about the incident.

West Yorkshire Police reminded drivers on the M62 and A1 to use caution.

Inspector Helen Brear said: "Strangland Lane, Knottingley, is closed but at the moment neither the M62 or A1 are.

"Motorists are, however, advised to exercise caution on these roads and we will be continually monitoring the situation to see if any other roads need to be shut."