Crews tackle large blaze at cardboard recycling plant
Roads were closed and residents warned to keep windows shut as a huge blaze took hold of a recycling plant.
The blaze started at the paper and cardboard recycling plant on Redfern Road, Tyseley, Birmingham, in the early hours of Saturday.
Fire crews from Hay Mills, Highgate and Billesley fire stations were called to the scene at 8.03am, with the first appliance reading the scene just 10 minutes later.
At the height of the blaze, 13 appliances, two hydraulic platforms and a high volume pump were being used to tackle the fire, which is believe to have started in the collection area.
Fire officers at the scene also confirmed there were no casualties at the single-storey fabricated building, which also had a two-storey office block attached to it.
Officers from West Midlands Police were on hand to manage traffic around the plant, with Redfern Road and Wharfdale Road closed, and residents in surrounding areas warned to keep their windows shut.
City council workers were also present at the site, along with representatives from Severn Trent and the electricity board.
No cause has, as yet, been attributed to how the fire started and crews were still tackling the blaze.
A spokeswoman for West Midlands Fire Service said: "Crews from Hay Mills, Highgate and Billesley were called to reports of a fire at a paper and cardboard recycling plant in Tyseley at 8.03am.
"The first crews arrived about 10 minutes after the call and immediately made pump six, which quickly went up to 10 and has been at 13 at its highest.
"No casualties were found at the scene and crews have been tackling the severe fire inside a single story fabricated building, which also had a two-storey office block attached to it.
"The cause is not yet known either and the city council has been meeting with Severn Trent and electricity board members at the scene, with West Midlands Police officers closing roads around the site.
"The collection area of the plant has been 100 per cent involved and there are large amounts of water being used on the site at present."
The Environment Agency said it was monitoring the local water course for any impact from the fire run-off on the environment.
A spokesman for West Midlands Police said: "Roads are closed in the area so please avoid Wharfdale road and Redfern Road.
"We were called at 8.30am. We will be in attendance for road closures only."
