A FIRE which triggered a smoke cloud seen for miles was caused by a faulty piece of equipment, firefighters have concluded.

The blaze tore through an industrial building in Beach Road, Newhaven on Saturday.

Fire crews battled the flames for more than eight hours as one witness described part of the building collapsing.

East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service has now concluded the fire was accidental.

β€œIt’s believed to have been an accidental fire caused by a defective electrical appliance,” a spokeswoman said.

>>WATCH: Newhaven fire in Beach Road building

The Argus: The fire tore through an industrial building. Photo: Eddie MitchellThe fire tore through an industrial building. Photo: Eddie Mitchell

Fire crews were called at 9.32am on Saturday and remained on the scene for more than eight hours as they tamed the flames.

At 4.30pm, with 12 fire engines having attended the site of the inferno at its peak, East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service said it had started to scale back the operation.

A spokeswoman said crews would remain on the scene using water to douse any hotspots.