WILTSHIRE Fire & Rescue Service attended a fire at the new multi million pound Hills waste recycling plant at the Northacre Industrial Estate, Westbury.
Four fire engines from Trowbridge, Warminster, Bradford on Avon and an Incident Control Vehicle from Devizes, supported by South West Ambulance Service, attend the blaze on the evening of Tuesday 18th March.
Because the building is protected by sprinklers the fire was contained to one area, limiting the damage to the building and the surrounding environment. As a precaution Wiltshire Council were informed of the smoke plume that had the potential to affect the surrounding area.
Due to the sprinkler system containing the fire, crews were quickly able to control and extinguish the fire.
Station manager Richard Humphrey, who attended the incident said, “The sprinkler system saved the day – a number of sprinkler heads were operating, containing the fire to one area and the building was heavily smoke logged.
“Six firefighters in breathing apparatus used water jets to surround and extinguish the fire. Firefighters then worked with the on-site team and their machinery to dig out and dampen down around 150 tonnes of household waste.
“Had it not been for the sprinkler system containing the fire, there would have been much more material involved and we would have been here for many more hours.”
