Firefighters investigate cause of huge blaze in Birmingham
Firefighters are investigating the cause of a major fire at an industrial estate which saw thick black smoke cover billow high into the sky.
More than 100 firefighters battled the blaze at its height on Monday evening at the Tyseley Industrial Estate in Birmingham.
The fire was believed to involve plastics recycling company GW Webb Plastics.
West Midlands Ambulance Service said no patients had been treated during the fire and everyone from the building had been accounted for.
Plumes of heavy black smoke billowed high into the air after the fire broke out at around 4.50pm, with the smoke visible more than 10 miles away in Oldbury and beyond.
Nearby roads including the A41 were closed as fire crews from across the city fought the flames.
Residents in the area were still being advised to keep windows and doors closed on Tuesday morning as around 35 fire service personnel remained at the scene.
Three fire crews and a hydraulic platform were still damping down at 2.30pm on Tuesday, with residents once again able to safely open doors and windows.
A spokesman from West Midlands Fire Service said: "Crews have continued to make good progress throughout the night. This morning they are still identifying and extinguishing hotspots.
"Our fire investigators have been at the scene overnight and their inquiries into the cause continue.
"All local roads are now open.
"We expect to have a presence at the scene for much of the day."
A West Midlands Ambulance Service (WMAS) spokesman said: “Upon arrival, crews liaised with fire colleagues to establish whether there were any patients to treat who were involved in the fire.
"No patients were found, with everyone from the building accounted for. As a result, the two ambulances were cleared from the scene to carry on treating other patients in the region.
“The remaining resources stayed on scene to provide medical cover for firefighters working within the midst of the fire with HART operatives, and to also conduct any welfare due to heat exhaustion.
“One of our HART paramedics used the team’s drone to assess the plume and magnitude of the blaze, to help fire and other services on scene gain perspective.
“Regular multi-agency meetings were held throughout the evening, to establish the plan for the following hours. After a meeting at 10pm, it was decided WMAS were no longer required on scene and crews were stood down.
“Although starting to slowly reduce, this fire at the plastics site is still ongoing. If you are in or around the Birmingham area, please continue to keep windows and doors closed as the fumes from this fire may be harmful. Thank you for your cooperation.”
