Bailey Waste Recycling is part of the Agnail Group, which handles around 12,000 to 15,000 tonnes of material each month.
The fire service says it was called to the site on Limestone Road at just before 5pm yesterday (5 July).
Neighbouring residents were advised to keep their doors and windows closed due to the large plume of smoke emanating from the site.
In a statement published this morning, the fire service said: “Two fire appliances are continuing to deal with what was a substantial fire at a waste recycling facility on the Limestone Road, Belfast.
“Firefighters were called to the fire at 4.45pm on Monday 5 July 2021. The fire has been brought under control, but firefighters are likely to be in attendance for the next number of hours.
“At the height of the incident 46 firefighters were dealing with the incident. Crews worked quickly to control the fire and to prevent fire spread to adjacent properties.”
The cause of the fire is currently unknown, but Bailey Waste Recycling told letsrecycle.com that police suspected arson.
Segregated area
Michael O’Callaghan, Agnail’s co-director, told letsrecycle.com the fire started in a segregated area containing finished processed stock, away from a heat or flame source.
“We were fortunate that our site was well-managed and our material was stored in a structured manner”
Staff first detected the fire yesterday afternoon and called the fire service, who arrived “quickly” and brought the blaze under control.
Fire crews and staff worked to empty bunkers of material so the fire could be quenched fully. Nobody was hurt in the blaze.
While the site is currently closed, Mr O’Callaghan said he hoped it would be up and running tomorrow evening.
In the meantime, the business remains operational, working from the company’s second depot in Lurgan, County Armagh.
Mr O’Callaghan said: “We were fortunate that our site was well-managed and our material was stored in a structured manner. The measures we had in place for segregated storage helped us bring the fire under control quickly. Fire service and staff did a great job.”
Confidential waste
Established in 1940, Bailey Waste Recycling specialises in the processing of confidential waste, alongside cardboard and paper, plastics, timber and other dry recyclables. The firm, which has a fleet of 15 vehicles, is thought to be one of the longest-established waste companies in Northern Ireland.
With headquarters in Lurgan, County Armagh, the company was acquired by Irish waste management firm Agnail in 2017. Agnail employs 55 people across the group and around half are employed by Bailey.
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