Viridor’s Trigon landfill catches fire
Firefighters from Dorset Fire & Rescue Service are tackling a fire at Viridor’s Trigon landfill site in Wareham, Dorset.
Crews were called to the landfill site at Bere Lane, which is in the process of being restored to lowland heath and a conservation habitat, at around 5pm yesterday evening (31 August).
On arrival, the Wareham crew confirmed that approximately 300 square metres of non-hazardous waste were alight and requested the assistance of two further crews, which were mobilised from Bere Regis and Poole fire stations. A transportable water carrier that can hold 10,000 litres of water was also mobilised from Poole fire station.
In total, six fire engines, one land rover, one water carrier, one Unimog off-road vehicle, and one command support unit were called to tackle to blaze.
As of this morning (1 September), a number of pumping appliances were still in attendance and Dorset Fire & Rescue Service is reporting that a ‘large plume of smoke’ emanating from the scene is ‘travelling east over the Poole and Bournemouth areas’.
Residents are advised to keep their windows closed if they are being affected by the smoke.
It is not yet known how the fire started.
Photo taken at 6am this morning at the landfill site in Wareham. pic.twitter.com/QbS4Qg3jOn
— DorsetFireandRescue (@DorsetFire) September 1, 2014
‘Fires at landfill sites are thankfully rare’
Speaking of the incident, Dan Cooke, Director of External Affairs for Viridor, said: “Personnel from Dorset Fire & Rescue Service, supported by colleagues from Viridor, are working hard to control a fire within a contained disposal cell at Trigon landfill restoration.
“Whilst the cause of the incident is unclear at this time, the advice to surrounding properties, as with any fire, is to close windows until the situation has resolved.
“With stringent regulation, monitoring and training, fires at landfill sites are thankfully rare. Staff followed standard response procedures at the site, which manages non-hazardous household and business waste, and have remained present throughout the incident.”
Viridor thanked the emergency services for their ‘swift and efficient response’ and said that a full investigation will be launched ‘in due course’.
The landfill will be closed to customers until further notice.
Tackling waste fires
Although fires at landfill sites are said to be ‘rare’, the waste industry is no stranger to fires.
Last year it was revealed that in the years 2001-2012, the average rate of fires at waste and recycling works came in at just under one per day.
Further to the environmental and social damage that waste fires cause, the cost of clearing up such fires is extensive; the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service has revealed that emergency services in Scotland spent £15.9 million tackling 8,000 waste fires in 2012/13.
As such, the Environment Agency has released guidance aimed at reducing outbreaks of fire at waste storage sites.
Find out more about Viridor’s landfills.
