Updated 1.30 pm

Thick, black smoke billowed over Qormi on Friday afternoon, after a fire was reported at Tal-Ħandaq. 

A police spokesperson said that the fire is thought to have started as a grass fire before then spreading to a number of containers nearby, intensifying the flames. 

At noon, the smoke was observed to be rising quickly from its point of origin, sending massive clouds spreading over the locality. 

At 1.30 pm police told Times of Malta that the fire was largely under control, although officers from the Civil Protection Department are still working on the scene. 

The fire had mostly been contained to a number of farms in the area and no injuries have been reported.