Firefighters were on Tuesday evening battling to contain a No. 3 alarm blaze that swept through a number of warehouses in Tin Shui Wai hours after it erupted.

Two people, including a firefighter, were injured.

Authorities said the fire is expected to continue for an extended period due to its severity.

The Fire Services Department reported thick plumes of smoke and flames erupted at the site in Ha Tsuen around 12.40pm, and it was upgraded to a No. 3 alarm less than an hour later.

Divisional Commander Wong Yu-fai of the New Territories West division told reporters that the intense blaze covered a large area, involving five warehouses.

"The area of the site is 200 metres by 200 metres. We need to draw water from nearby sources, so we need to lay down a 300-metre water inlet, which has caused some difficulties. Additionally, part of the warehouse collapsed, making it hard for our colleagues to enter," he said.

"Therefore, we have been using a dynamic risk assessment model to continuously evaluate the hazards on the site. We have also been deploying our firefighting robots to carry out firefighting and rescue operations."

Wong said 50 people evacuated safely on their own, while firefighters rescued five dogs during the operation.

Pun Kong-chak, depot commander of the Tin Shui Wai Ambulance Depot, said two people were injured.

"One of them was a warehouse worker who reported being injured. After examination by the paramedics, it was found that his back and neck had second-degree burns," Pun said.

"Another was a colleague from the Fire Services Department who reported feeling unwell during the operation, suspected to be due to smoke inhalation."

Both were taken to hospital for treatment.