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Bank Holiday Fires Hit The Waste Sector

4 May 2011

Blazes at plastics recycling company Jayplas' Loughborough storage warehouse and recycling business Wormtech's base at Caerwent, South Wales, are both believed to be the result of arson attacks

The weekend also saw a second fire in less than two months at SITA UK's Wallsend Road operation on North Tyneside, home to a household waste recycling centre, a waste transfer station and a metals recycling facility.

The fire at recycling and waste company's AB Waste Management Ltd's Darlaston operation was noted by a spokeswoman for the West Midlands Fire Service, that while it was too early to determine what caused the blaze, arson could be among the possible causes investigated.

A blaze broke out at J&A Young's site in Loughborough in the early hours of the morning of 2 May, burning 200 tonnes of plastic. Eleven fire engines from Leicestershire Fire and Rescue service were called to the scene. Thick black smoke produced by the fire was so severe that police had to close several roads in the area.

The news comes only weeks after a scrapyard fire forced the closure of the M1 (between J1 and J4, Elstree) causing the disruption of thousands of drivers visiting the capital for the FA Cup semi-finals and the London Marathon. For the full story CLICK HERE

Sita's recycling site in North Tyneside needed 52 firefighters to help tackle a blaze that broke out on 1 May. The fire took hold in a single-storey building, which processes refuse, and recycling materials. It is the second fire at the facility in the space of five weeks.

A spokesman for Tyne & Wear Fire and Rescue Service said: "Of the building and contents, 10 percent has been severely damaged by fire and 80 percent has been severely damaged by heat and smoke." The fire was extinguished after a few hours.

The WormTech fire took place on 2 May at its site in Caerwent, south Wales. According to reports, 45 firefighters fought the blaze, which started within cardboard and paper bales stored on-site in the open air. Its co-founder Jackie Powell said: "The police are investigating to see whether it was arson. Obviously we could have done without the fire, but it won't be closing us down. The building was unaffected but we did lose baling equipment."

Darrel Moore