Fire fighters dampen down huge Wolverhampton Heath Town waste centre blaze

At its height six fire engines and 20 firefighters tackling the blaze in Heath Town in Wolverhampton between 4am and 10am of this morning. 

A West Midlands Fire Service spokesman told the Express & Star at 12.50pm: "The crews that remain at the Alma Street waste centre are now dampening the premises.

"The fire has been extinguished and our crews are now digging out and turning over the ground as part of the dampening down 

The spokesman added :"We still have five crews on the site due to the size and seriousness of the five."

Alma Street was not closed due to the blaze but West Midlands Fire Service warned residents to avoid the area, and close their windows.

The area is predominantly commercial businesses, with recycling centres, tyre warehouses and factories, with only a few residential properties around 20 metres.

The fire was between the train line and the canal. Unlike the massive blaze last year near the train line forced delays and cancellations to services in and out of Wolverhampton. 

Paul Grainger, a 53-year-old ground worker, who was on his daily daily walk this morning: "It must have being a big fire if there are so many engines still here.

"But unless they were up to no good at that time of the morning then this place would have been deserted  so it makes sense no-one was injured."

However,  West Midlands Railway had to divert train services between Birmingham and Wolverhampton but did not have to cancel any services. 

WMR posted on X, formerly Twitter: " Due to a lineside industrial fire near Heath Town (Wolverhampton), all Birmingham .

"Shrewsbury services will run via the Stourbridge  lines today Trains booked via Tame Bridge Parkway won’t stop there No delays reported at the moment."