A fire at an industrial estate in Stoke-on-Trent was started accidentally, fire investigators have confirmed.
The blaze, at Biffa Waste Services Ltd, based at Newstead Industrial Trading Estate, on Alderflat Drive, began at around 8pm on Saturday (3 July).
At its peak, 400 tonnes of waste was involved in the fire which engulfed the 50m by 30m building and saw flames emerging from the roof.
A total of six crews attended the scene along with specialist equipment including a high-volume pump, water carriers and aerial ladder platforms.
Active fire fighting prevented the spread of the blaze across the site.
The remaining waste was moved outside yesterday (6 July) with a Burslem crew on hand to tackle any hot spots.
Fire investigator, Ian Read, said:
“This fire shows how important it is to ensure you dispose of your waste safely.
“Any items that do not belong in commercial waste, for example – batteries – should not be placed in there, and disposal firms rely on the public and businesses to do their bit to keep each other safe.
“Thankfully no one was hurt in the fire and crews worked diligently to extinguish it safely.”
A spokesperson for Biffa said: “Our staff responded quickly to make the site safe and we are thankful that nobody was injured, a full internal investigation is now underway.
“We’d like to thank Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service crews for their outstanding work in getting the fire under control.”
To find out more about disposing of waste safely and how to keep yourself safe from fire, visit: https://www.staffordshirefire.gov.uk/.
Call 999 in an emergency.
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