The fire is at a recycling site on Gayton Road, Bawsey, operated by Peter Bacon Recycling, and involves around 1,000 tonnes of household waste.
When contacted by letrecycle.com, a spokesperson for Peter Bacon Recycling confirmed the fire is ongoing, however, Stephen Bacon, one of the company’s directors, was unavailable for comment.
Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service (NRFS) has been on scene since just after 7pm on Monday dealing with the fire.
Following a site meeting yesterday, representatives from the Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service (NFRS), the borough council of King’s Lynn & West Norfolk, the Environment Agency and the Police said NFRS are overseeing a controlled burn, which due to the quantities of material could burn for up to a week.
In an update on Norfolk county council’s website, the council said: “The other agencies involved will continue to monitor the situation and issue advice to the public, businesses and organisations affected as necessary.”
“Firefighters will remain on site 24 hours per day during the controlled burn.”
Grabber
In the latest update, it was confirmed that NFRS is taking ‘proactive steps’ to extinguish the fire. A construction ‘grabber’ is being used to collect and submerge parts of the pile in water before moving it out of the fire’s reach.
Environmental health staff from the borough council will be undertaking regular visits to assess any potential impact of the plume on the local community.
The Environment Agency will continue to attend the site and monitor the environment.
Dr David Edwards, consultant in health protection, Public Health England East has advised residents to stay indoors or avoid outside areas affected by smoke or ash.
According to the company’s website, Peter Bacon Recycling Ltd is a local independent business, established in 1951, which recycles all ferrous and non-ferrous metals.
The company says it is able to recycle metals, vehicles, paper, plastic, glass, wood as well as hazardous materials.
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