According to the West Midlands Fire Service, approximately 9,000 tonnes of cardboard bales were ablaze outdoors, covering seven acres of the 22-acre site. The fire has not affected any of the buildings on the site.
There were still 65 firefighters tackling the blaze on site this afternoon, and the Fire Service said it could be at the scene for another one to two days to ensure that the fire was completely extinguished.
According to the Fire Service, the plan is now to bring in machinery to break up the paper bales so any deep-seated hotspots of the blaze can be dealt with.
The Fire Service said everyone at the site at the time was evacuated and accounted for and that no one had been injured in the fire. However, strong winds of up to 40mph had made the operation challenging and nearby residents were advised to keep windows and doors shut to keep air born ash and smoke out.
‘No one has been injured and we are co-operating fully with the emergency services on site.’
Smurfit Kappa statement
The cause of the fire is under investigation but is not thought to be suspicious.
The Fire Service said: At the height of the fire we had over 100 firefighters, 28 fire engines, two aerial appliances and a high volume pumping unit there. We worked hard to keep the blaze contained to the complex and to protect businesses nearby. The site had its own drencher systems in place which successfully protected the main plant.
It added: We moved some acetylene cylinders off site for safety and, in the Trevor Street area, we successfully managed to stop the fire jumping across to a separate metal recycling plant.
A train carrying aviation fuel nearby was also delayed until it was safe to continue its journey, the Fire Service said.
West Midlands Fire Service also warned this morning that motorists should expect traffic problems around the area by paper mill on Mount Street, as the A47 Heartlands Parkway from the junction with Saltley Road was closed.
The Fire Service said: We would like to thank our partner organisations for a speedy and helpful response which, for example, meant that local roads were closed quickly. We would also like to thank people who live, work and travel locally for their patience during these unusual circumstances.
An official statement issued by Smurfit Kappa in conjunction with West Midlands Fire Service said: At approximately 10pm last night a fire started in the paper yard and rapidly spread to the remaining raw material stock.
Emergency services were called and are co-ordinating a combined operation to bring the situation under control.
No one has been injured and we are co-operating fully with the emergency services on site.
More than 200,000 tonnes of recovered paper and cardboard is collected each year and delivered to the Smurfit Kappa site in Birmingham for processing into brown paper. The brown paper is then sent elsewhere and used to produce packaging.
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