North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service said crews were called to the incident in the early hours of today (30 September 2026), with the fire initially described as involving a wood chipping pile measuring approximately 30 metres by 200 metres.
The fire service said the blaze could be seen from a considerable distance, including from the M62, and warned that crews could remain at the scene for several days.
An update at 10:48am said the fire measured approximately 50 metres by 30 metres, with firefighters working to extinguish the blaze and prevent it from spreading to other wood piles and buildings.
A number of crews remain in attendance, supported by specialist high-volume pumps.
Seras has confirmed no-one was injured and that its team attended the site, working alongside the fire service to mitigate the impact. The fire brigade remains at the site and Seras said it is awaiting the all-clear before beginning its own investigation into the cause.
The company said: “Fires at storage sites remain a serious issue for the UK waste wood recycling industry and wider waste sector.
“Recent figures from the Environment Services Association (ESA) show that its members have reported 1,518 fires in the year to March 2026, with at least 541 of these fires directly attributed to lithium-ion batteries. A further 216 battery fires occurred in bin lorries.
“We would like to thank all of our suppliers and customers for bearing with us during this time of disruption.”
North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service said appliances from Selby, Snaith and Goole in Humberside, and Askern in South Yorkshire attended the incident, alongside specialist high-volume pumps from Harrogate and Richmond.
A welfare unit from Thirsk and Tadcaster’s water bowser were also deployed.
from Harrogate and Richmond, a welfare unit from Thirsk and Tadcaster’s water bowser.
Group Manager John Darnton, incident commander, said five fire engines and two specialist water carriers had been deployed to the site.
He said: “There is a significant smoke plume which the advice is to keep your windows [and] doors closed if you’re in the area.
“We are working hard to prevent the fire from spreading to further wood piles and any buildings. We are likely to be dealing with the incident for a number of days.”
The incident remains ongoing and the cause has not yet been established.
Register for free to comment