Firefighters from Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service responded to a report of a fire at Armstrong Environmental Services, on Chorley New Road in Horwich, near Bolton at 1.17pm yesterday (July 17).
The large amounts of water required to fight the blaze also meant pumps had to be set into a nearby brook, with street hydrants also used, while Armstrong staff attempted to protect the buildings on site by building fire breaks with large hydraulic diggers.
However, while this succeeded in protecting the buildings, a statement from the fire service explained that “more of the timber has become involved, with flames and a large plume of smoke still visible at midnight”.
Speaking to letsrecycle.com earlier today, a spokeswoman for the fire service was unable to confirm whether or not the fire was still burning but did state that fire crews were “still in attendance”.
And, the fire service has stated that it is “too early” to establish what could have caused the fire, while confirming that it had led to no injuries.
However, Greater Manchester Police confirmed that it had launched a joint investigation into the blaze with the fire service and inquiries were “ongoing”.
Smoke
Following the outbreak of the fire, local residents were advised to keep their windows closed as a plume of smoke spread across residential areas near to the site, which is just outside Bolton.
And, the effects of the blaze also led to nearby roads nearby being closed both yesterday and today, as well as the closure of Chorley New Road Primary School.
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