Fire crews tackle scrap metal blaze
Warwickshire fire crews spent over four hours tackling more than 400 tonnes of blazing scrap metal in Kingsbury last night.
Crews were called out at 6.20pm to European Metal Recycling Ltd on Trinity Road. At the height of the incident 9 crews were in attendance from Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service. Crews from Tamworth and West Midlands Fire and Rescue Service were also called to assist.
Assistant Divisional Officer, David Pemberton said:
“On arrival black smoke was issuing from the scrap yard. The vehicles in the yard were piled high and were well alight. It took around 4 hours to get the fire under control and then another four hours to dampen down the area and ensure that the area was safe. The fire was contained and the all of the firefighters in attendance did a great job to ensure that the fire didn’t spread to neighbouring properties.
Although the site was relatively near to the Kingsbury oil depot, the fire was kept under control and didn’t pose a threat to the depot. As a precautionary measure the area was cordoned off and people were advised to close their windows due to the volume of smoke.”
Incident Commander, Frank Brown said:
“The fire is believed to have been caused by a car battery which short circuited. The company operates in a competent and environmentally friendly way. All cars are de-polluted of any flammable materials including brake fluid and petrol which is why the fire was easier to control.”