Massive blaze at waste site

May 1 2007

AROUND 75 firefighters tackled a huge blaze at a waste disposal site in Birmingham after flames ripped through 200 tonnes of rubbish.

The blaze started at the SITA Waste Disposal site in Montague Street, Bordesley, shortly before 7.25pm last night.

Crews from eight stations were called after more than 100 tonnes of timber caught on fire.

The fire spread to a further 100 tonnes of domestic waste at the site and caused smoke to drift onto a nearby railway.

Firefighters had to quickly dampen the flames to prevent them spreading to a nearby diesel tanker and possibly causing a serious explosion.

Crews from West Midlands Fire Service were still at the site today.

Crew Commander Eddie Gutheridge, from Highgate fire station, said although there was no risk to human life, the fire had serious implications.

He said: "The site was well alight when we got there. There was a diesel tanker nearby so we had to ensure the fire did not escalate any further.

"The fire was also next to a railway line and smoke was causing a potential hazard to trains."

He said that the cause of the fire was not yet known.