Investigation launched into fire at Demonstrator site

According to Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service, who attended the scene, an “intense fire” broke out at 02.20 on Friday morning after “a large quantity of rubbish became involved in a fire” at the £13 million mechanical biological treatment facility in Huyton, Knowsley.

Following the fire, which took up to 50 fire fighters several hours to extinguish, the site will now be closed for several weeks and subject to alternative disposal arrangements while an investigation into the cause takes place.

Carl Beer, director of the Merseyside Waste Disposal Authority (MWDA), said that the Authority and its Lancashire-based engineering partner Orchid Environmental “would be working with the Fire and Rescue Service to find out precisely how the fire began. It would be inappropriate to comment at this stage as to how it started until any investigation is complete.”

“Until the full extent of damage is known the plant will be shut for several weeks. In the meantime, Orchid and MWDA will be developing a recovery plan,” added Mr Beer.

The facility, which processes 50,000 tonnes of household waste annually, was opened in July as part of Defra's New Technologies Demonstrator Project, to showcase innovative methods of waste management and recovery (see letsrecycle.com story).

Fire

Mr Beer noted that there had been some damage to the site. He said: “There has been some damage to the building and the equipment. One processor has been damaged, as has a small area of the roof and some auxiliary equipment. A number of employees working for the company next door were temporarily evacuated but were able to return to work after a short disruption.”

According to Mr Beer, the fire started within one section of the recycling plant and was confined to the area of origin and, despite the facility undergoing a routine maintenance operation at the time, nobody was hurt in the incident.

Four crews remained on the scene dampening down the morning after the fire, with eight pumps used throughout the night to contain the fire which had affected a conveyor belt and a large quantity of waste.

John Cousins, watch manager at Huyton community fire station, who responded to the fire, said: “We assessed the situation and instigated a rapid attack to knock down the flames and suppress the spread of the fire.”