Investigations are continuing into the cause of a fire which started at a Wiltshire landfill site operated by Hills Waste Solutions last week.
The fire at the Lower Compton landfill site near Calne started on Thursday (19 April) and involved an area of around 80 square metres of surface waste.
The fire at the Lower Compton landfill site involved an area of around 80 square metres of surface waste (Picture: Dorset & Wiltshire Fire Service)
Today, the company confirmed that the fire has been extinguished and that the site was opened again for waste deliveries from Monday (23 April).
Investigations
In a statement, Hills Group said: “Assumptions are that the landfill fire was ignited when waste was tipped from one of our collection vehicles, although investigations are continuing.”
When contacted by letsrecycle.com, Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service (DWFRS) confirmed it was called to the site just after 4pm on Thursday.
At the height of the incident there were 12 fire engines and specialist vehicles on site – around 70 firefighters.
“Firefighters used eight main jets and four light portable pumps to extinguish the fire as well as using on site machinery to move clay to cover the burn site,” the fire service said.
‘Exact source’
In an update on Friday, Hills Group said the company had been trying to identify the “exact source” of the fire within the waste and reminded all residents to dispose of waste material in a “responsible manner”.
A firefighter douses down the flames at the Lower Compton landfill site (Picture: Dorset & Wiltshire Fire Service)
Mike Hill, chief executive of The Hills Group said: “Our employees are well trained and reacted quickly to the situation. They immediately launched the on-site emergency plan and followed procedures for this type of incident. I would also like to thank the Fire & Rescue services for their quick response.”
The fire service said the stop message was received just after 9.00 am on Saturday morning, when the site was handed back to the site manager.
Operations
Other operations on the site including a materials recycling facility, household waste recycling centre and concrete plant were unaffected by the incident and remained open. The firm said there were no reports of any personal injury or damage to property.
The Hills Group of companies, based in Swindon, covers waste management, recycling aggregates, concrete and building.
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Source: letsrecycle.com Waste Managment
