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Crews extinguish fire at waste site after six days

Louise Parry
BBC News, Buckinghamshire
Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service A large warehouse is seen gutted by fire. Outside the building two firefighters stand in front of piles of burned rubbish, wearing yellow hemlets and protective clothing. Smoke smoulders from the pile of rubbish and spreads into the air, covering much of the photo. There is a wide puddle of water showing the firefighters' reflections.Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service
The building, used to store household recycling, is structurally unsafe so fire crews cannot go inside to spray water

A blaze at a recycling storage centre has been extinguished after being on fire since Friday.

The fire at Elstow Waste Transfer Station in Bedfordshire involved a large amount of household recycling, which was deemed non-hazardous.

Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service extinguished the blaze on Thursday at about 14:00 BST.

People living in the area have been told they can now open their doors and windows, having previously been told to keep them closed to avoid the smoke.

After attempting to extinguish the blaze using high-expansion foam, a decision was made to demolish the building.

A fire specialist advised crews to be the first to try the "innovative tactic" of spraying expanding foam on Sunday, but it had "limited effect" because of where the fire had taken hold.

The building was declared structurally unsafe, which meant workers and emergency teams could not put water directly on the fire.

Crews will now remain on site as the structure is demolished.

Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service A huge pile of rubbish and recycling sits outside a large burned-out warehouse. In the pile are plastic bags of various colours and blackened materials. On the right of the image are two firefighters spraying water on the rubbish with a yellow hose, wearing hard hats and yellow protective clothing.Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service
The household waste has been classed as non-hazardous

Areas including Wixams, Shortstown, Hayes and Houghton Conquest were affected by the smoke, the fire service said.

In a statement on Wednesday, the service said: "As the forecasted temperature continues to rise over the coming days, the agencies involved have reviewed the current situation and the advice to residents remains the same; to keep their windows and doors closed if affected by smoke.

"Anyone with severe respiratory concerns should contact their GP or call 111, and those with existing respiratory conditions are advised to minimise their exposure."

It also issued advice suggesting people open windows on the opposite side to the plume or smoke "when it is safe to do so".

Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service Two people in white hard hats and protective clothing are in the foreground. One walks towards the warehouse, which is burned out and has piles of corrugated metal falling down in front. To the right, a JCB with a long arm demolishes the black building. Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service
Work has begun to demolish the waste storage building

Group Commander James West explained: "Waste fires are inherently difficult and complex incidents to resolve and rarely are concluded as quickly as we would like.

"The safety of the nearby residents, responders and on-site staff is paramount throughout an incident such as this, and we would like to thank those impacted for their continued patience and cooperation."

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