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West Midlands fire crews remain at factory units tyre blaze

West Midlands fire crews remain at factory units tyre blaze

BBC News13 hours ago
Firefighters have spent the night tackling a blaze that broke out in factory units and involved 20 tonnes of tyres.At the peak of the blaze on Sunday, more than 70 firefighters attended the scene on Great Bridge Street between Tipton and West Bromwich, and several nearby homes were evacuated.Residents were allowed to return to their homes on Elwell Street on Sunday night, West Midlands Fire Service (WMFS) said, but five fire engines and a hydraulic aerial platform remained at the scene.Crews remained there on Monday and police were continuing to manage cordons and access to nearby buildings, WMFS added. No-one was reported injured.
The fire sent a thick plume of smoke into the air, with the public warned to stay away from the area.Crews used a drone to monitor the scene and drew water from a nearby canal.One social media user posted on X that the fire, which started at about 10:40 BST on Sunday, could be seen from Bilston, about four miles away.
Initially, the fire involved a single-storey unit measuring 100m by 100m, WMFS said, later confirming that four units were involved.A structural engineer has been to the scene amid concerns of a partial building collapse, according to the service.Engineers were called to isolate any affected gas and electricity supplies, with further investigations expected to take place on Monday.Representatives from National Grid, Severn Trent, the Environment Agency and Sandwell Council have also been at the scene.
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West Midlands fire crews remain at factory units tyre blaze
West Midlands fire crews remain at factory units tyre blaze

BBC News

time13 hours ago

  • BBC News

West Midlands fire crews remain at factory units tyre blaze

Firefighters have spent the night tackling a blaze that broke out in factory units and involved 20 tonnes of the peak of the blaze on Sunday, more than 70 firefighters attended the scene on Great Bridge Street between Tipton and West Bromwich, and several nearby homes were were allowed to return to their homes on Elwell Street on Sunday night, West Midlands Fire Service (WMFS) said, but five fire engines and a hydraulic aerial platform remained at the remained there on Monday and police were continuing to manage cordons and access to nearby buildings, WMFS added. No-one was reported injured. The fire sent a thick plume of smoke into the air, with the public warned to stay away from the used a drone to monitor the scene and drew water from a nearby social media user posted on X that the fire, which started at about 10:40 BST on Sunday, could be seen from Bilston, about four miles away. Initially, the fire involved a single-storey unit measuring 100m by 100m, WMFS said, later confirming that four units were involved.A structural engineer has been to the scene amid concerns of a partial building collapse, according to the were called to isolate any affected gas and electricity supplies, with further investigations expected to take place on from National Grid, Severn Trent, the Environment Agency and Sandwell Council have also been at the scene. Follow BBC Birmingham on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.

Firefighters tackle huge blaze involving 20 tonnes of tyres
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Firefighters tackle huge blaze involving 20 tonnes of tyres

Homes have been evacuated as firefighters tackle a huge blaze involving 20 tonnes of tyres in West Bromwich. The West Midlands Fire Service (WMFS) has said four factory units on Great Bridge Street are involved in the blaze but there have been no injuries. The WMFS initially said it was dealing with a fire involving a single-storey factory, measuring approximately 100m by 100m, after it was called at around 10.40am on Sunday morning. Images show a huge black plume of smoke billowing from the site, with firefighters tackling the flames from aerial ladder platforms. Fifteen fire engines were sent to the scene, with a high-volume pump which used water from a nearby canal brought into help put out the blaze. West Midlands Police co-ordinated the evacuation of several homes on nearby Elwell Street as "a precaution", the WMFS said. The fire service has been working with police to ensure "local residents affected by the evacuation, and businesses, are kept safe". A structural engineer has been at the scene of the fire due to structural concerns and a partial collapse in one area. The engineer will "make an assessment", the WMFS said. Gas and electricity engineers have been at the scene to isolate affected supplies where possible, the fire service added. The cause of the fire has not yet been reported. WMFS said in an update on Sunday: "Some fire investigations have taken place, with further investigations expected tomorrow (Monday), when it is safe to do so. "Regular multi-agency briefings are taking place and we expect to continue to remain in attendance for some time." WMFS said at around 10pm on Sunday that local residents who had been evacuated were "expected to be able to return to their homes shortly". However, people living in the area were still advised to keep their doors and windows closed due to the huge amount of smoke in the area. WMFS said it has been supported by representatives from National Grid, Severn Trent, the Environmental Agency and Sandwell Council in its response to the blaze.

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