Fire crews from across the North East are fighting a major fire at a tyre recycling facility operated by Yorkshire waste firm Newgen Recycling.
14 fire engines and around 70 fire fighters are currently attending the scene, after being called out to the site at Lennerton Lane, Sherburn-in-Elmet near York, at 8:37 am today (January 16).
Up to 15,000 tonnes of waste tyres are thought to have been involved in the fire, which has created large volumes of smoke.
The Newgen Recycling facility is permitted to recycle up to 50,000 tonnes of scrap tyres, rubber waste, tyre wire and textile materials from commercial sources. The firm produces rubber chippings which are sold for use in landscaping.
The company could not be reached for comment, when contacted by letsrecycle.com today.
Precautions
Fire crews are using a water curtain which is used as a cooling method to try to restrict the spread of the fire. Crews from North and West Yorkshire and Humberside are all in attendance at the site.
North Yorkshire Fire Service has advised residents living nearby to keep windows and doors shut while the blaze is tackled. Schools close to the site have also been contacted to ensure that children remain indoors until the fire is brought under control.
In a statement released this morning North Yorkshire Fire Service said: Fire crews are at the scene of a fire at a recycling plant. A large amount of tyres are on fire. Crews are using 3 hose reel jets to tackle the blaze and the occupier of the site is using a digger to create a fire break.
The officers at the scene have now requested that a total of 14 fire engines are sent to the scene of this incident, along with a High Volume Pump which can move large quantities of water over a larger distance than a normal fire engine. It also includes some fire engines from West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service.
Officers from the Environment Agencys North Yorkshire and North East team have also been called to the site. An eyewitness to the fire said that access to the surrounding area was being closed off rapidly, whilst fire crews continued to fight the blaze.
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