Scrapyard fire, Bury

Weekend update, 5pm Saturday 4 January

Rochdale Road in Bury has reopened following a large fire at a scrapyard which started on Thursday evening.

At its height more than 100 firefighters and 20 fire engines and other appliances were involved in tackling the blaze on Pimhole Road in the town, close to Openshaw Park and Junction 2 of the M66.

However, on Saturday afternoon Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) reduced its resources at the site and reopened nearby roads.

Station Manager Craig Pinder, Incident Commander for the day, said: “GMFRS will have two fire engines on the scene overnight dealing hotspots and damping down and we will take a view in the morning as to what resources are still required. Steam is still rising from parts of the incident and I expect GMFRS to still be on site come Monday.

“I want to praise the dedication of firefighters who have worked hard for nearly two days at this scrapyard. As a Fire and Rescue Service we are also grateful to partner agencies for their support and in particular I want to thank the local community and residents living nearby for their co-operation and patience as we have worked to extinguish this fire and keep the area safe.”

Fire investigators have yet to determine a cause of the blaze. Unless the situation at Pimhole Road changes significantly there are no further plans to update this incident page this weekend.

---

5.30pm

Fire engines will remain at the scene of a scrapyard fire in Bury throughout the weekend, as crews continue to damp down hotspots and work to make the site safe.

More than 20 hours after first being called to a blaze on Pimhole Road, there are still six Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) fire engines in attendance plus an aerial appliance directing water from above.

Billy Fenwick, Incident Commander in Bury, said: “Our crews have been working diligently throughout the day and we have made substantial progress. There is now very little smoke in the area. At the moment firefighters are operating heavy plant machinery, pulling materials apart so we can really get into the heart of the scene and damp down further using handheld jets.

“We estimate over the next 24 hours we will continue to steadily manage the scene and slowly started reducing our firefighters and appliances on the ground. But we will be here throughout the weekend until the full conclusion of this incident.

“We currently have six fire engines on scene with a high-volume pump supplying them with water. Later this evening we plan to reduce to four fire engines and then, at dawn tomorrow, we will re-evaluate what we still need.

“We have benefited from fantastic support from our partner agencies, including local police, the Environment Agency and the local council. As ever, our firefighters put their heart and soul into delivering for the local community, and have been working hard all day in quite challenging and wet conditions. They will continue to do so throughout the night.”

A Fire Investigation Officer has visited the site but it remains too early to speculate on a possible initial cause.

GMFRS is aware that hoses and the number of appliances have meant we have had quite a significant footprint in the local area - we are working hard to reduce that footprint and minimise any further disruption to local residents living or travelling nearby. Residents are asked to keep all windows and doors closed due to the presence of smoke in the air.

 

2.30pm

The fire at Pimhole Road, Bury has now been largely scaled back with six fire engines as well as special appliances remaining at the scene.

Firefighters are working hard to dampen the blaze which has been ongoing since 6pm yesterday.

Road closures are still in place on Rochdale Road with traffic being diverted onto Wash Lane. However, work is taking place to try and get roads opened as soon as possible.

Residents are being advised to keep all windows and doors closed due to smoke and steam emission still active within the area.

Residents in the area may be experiencing no water or poor water pressure due to the incident, with United Utilities engineers working hard to maintain and restore supplies.

10am

Firefighters are requesting motorists take the following steps if driving near the scene in Bury:

Avoid driving over any hoses where possible

If it’s necessary to drive over the hose please do so very slowly & take care

Use hose ramps where you can

Over no circumstances drive over an inflated yellow hose unless there’s a ramp

 

6AM

Throughout the evening crews from across Greater Manchester, with support from Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service, have been tackling a large blaze in a scrapyard in Bury.

At its peak over 100 firefighters were at the scene working hard to tackle the significant and challenging blaze, which measured approximately 30 square metres by 15 metres high, involving a number of scrap vehicles.

Incident Commander Dave Baxter said: “Our hardworking and dedicated firefighters have done a fantastic job at getting this blaze under control.

“A big thanks goes to all of our partner agencies who have worked alongside us throughout this incident.

“Significant progress has been made throughout the night and we’re now scaling back this incident.

“A large number of fire engines remain at the scene and are likely to be there for the rest of the day.”

Residents in the local area who are affected by the smoke should continue to stay indoors, keep their windows and doors shut and avoid the area where possible.

Some road closures are in place around the incident including Rochdale Road between Heywood Street and Wash Lane. Traffic is diverting via Wash Lane.

Motorist who are travelling through the smoke are urged to keep their windows and air vents closed.

 

10.30PM

Twenty fire engines are now at the scene of the incident involving a scrapyard in Bury.

The safety advice remains the same with local residents being urged to keep their windows and doors shut and avoid the area.

Firefighters at the scene are working extremely hard to prevent the fire from spreading further.

 

10PM

Firefighters are working hard to tackle a blaze at a scrapyard off Pimhole Road in Bury this evening (Thursday 2 January 2020).

Ten fire engines, including crew from Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service, and other specialist appliances are currently fighting the fire which measures approximately 30m by 30m reaching 10m at its height.

Firefighters are fighting the blaze using three jets, hose layers and a hydraulic platform to tackle the fire from above.

Group Manager, Val Hussain, who is in charge of the incident praises firefighters for their hard work: “Our crews are doing a great job prevent the fire from spending despite the challenging conditions they’re being faced with.

“As a matter of precaution I would urge everybody to stay away from the area and keep their windows and doors shut.”

---

02/01/2020 21:55 PM