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Watch: Dramatic video shows rooftop fire rescue
A crane has rescued a worker from a roof close to a burning building.
Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service was called to the Station Hill development in Reading, which has since been cordoned off, at 11:40 GMT.
Video footage from social media shows a person being lifted by a crane from the roof of a building, prompting applause from a crowd below.
The blaze, which created a huge amount of black smoke, now appears to have been put out by the fire service.
South Central Ambulance Service said two people were taken to the Royal Berkshire Hospital to be treated for smoke inhalation, but neither case was severe.
Local residents and businesses are being urged to avoid the area, stay indoors and to keep windows closed.
The fire service said more than 50 firefighters attended the blaze, along with the air ambulance, at a high-rise building under construction.
More than 50 firefighters were called to fight the blaze at Station Hill in Reading
Steve Reynolds works in a building 100 yards away from where the fire started.
He said: “I saw a black cloud go up and a ball of flames happen and all of a sudden I could see there was a guy trapped on the corner.
“There were bits of glass falling off the side of the building and he was completely exposed up there.
“Then all of a sudden a crane came out from the left with a carriage on it and they lowered it down… and he gets in and they pull him away.
“There was a massive cheer from all the workers on the ground. It was pretty terrifying.”
Peter, who runs a local café, said the fire was “really quite dramatic – thick billowing smoke and lots of flames”.
“We immediately got rid of all our customers – that’s all we could think to do,” he said.
Aaron, who was a bystander, said it was the “most devastating thing” he had seen in his life.
“I thought the flames and smoke were going to break the glass,” he added.
Redwood Consulting, on behalf of the Station Hill redevelopment project, said: “We activated our fire emergency plans immediately, the emergency services were notified and are currently on site.
“The safety of those on site and the wider public is always our first priority, and the site has been evacuated as a result.”
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