Residents living close to the site of the explosions have been warned to stay inside their homes with their doors and windows closed. Professor Warren Lenney, of the British Lung Foundation, said the consequences of inhaling soot particles from the acidic thick black smoke could be "fairly unpleasant".  | | Panic buying in Redbourn |
"I think it's good advice to stay indoors and keep windows and doors closed" he said. "As long as the fire is going it will continue to belch out these nasty gases." Howard Borkett-Jones, the Medical Director at Hemel Hempstead Hospital, told the BBC what people should do if they are feeling unwell: "If somebody is feeling the effects of smoke then they should first of all make sure that they reduce their exposure to it by staying indoors with doors and windows closed" he said. "Also, should they be feeling more unwell, they should get in touch with either NHS Direct or contact their GP out of hours, or they can come to the Accident and Emergency Department here at Hemel or at their local hospital." A spokeswoman for the RSPCA said the organisation was being "inundated" with calls from people worried about leaving their pets behind when they were evacuated from their homes. "It's not always practical for them to take the animals with them," said Katy Gearey. "We are telling people who are worried about having to leave pets behind that they should close windows and leave enough water and food for them." Meanwhile, Hertfordshire Police have asked the public not to panic buy petrol. "We have no indications at this stage that this explosion will cause fuel shortages, however we do have early reports of people panic buying petrol" a statement on their Website said. "We strongly advise against this as recent events have shown that panic buying alone can cause fuel shortages." | 
