Battle to control scrapyard blaze in Renfrew

james73 · Battle to control scrapyard blaze in Renfrew

About 30 firefighters are battling to bring a major fire at a scrap metal
merchants in Renfrew under control.

Emergency services said a massive pall of black smoke was being generated
by a deep seated fire in a 30ft mountain of mangled and twisted scrap
metal.

Heavy lifting diggers were also being used to gouge out large quantities of
metal from the immediate area on fire.

Strathclyde Fire and Rescue Service said it was likely to take some time to
extinguish the blaze.

Smoke from the fire could be seen drifting all the way into Glasgow.

A spokesman for Strathclyde Fire and Rescue said the emergency services
had been alerted at about 1430 BST and were initially hampered by the
hazardous nature of the components which were ablaze.

He added: "The on site heavy lifting mechanical diggers are also being
used to great effect to gouge out large quantities of metal from the
immediate area on fire thereby allowing the flames to be directly attacked
by the firefighting resources on hand."

The spokesman said that while people should not be concerned about the
effects of drifting smoke, they should keep doors and windows closed until
it passed.

James H

AlanM

Taken from Knightswood,

james73

I could smell it in my house.

James H

Fjord

I could smell it in Coatbridge earlier today plus there was a haze that covered the whole of central Glasgow this evening. This looks totally out of control until it burns itself out

I'm certain there was blaze in the same scrapyard a couple of years ago

james73

Fighting the inferno

EIGHTY firefighters were still tackling a huge blaze today at a scrapyard in
Renfrew.

The inferno broke out in Meadowside Street amid a 30ft mountain of
twisted metal.

And the blaze, which is expected to burn for at least another day, sent
huge smoke clouds billowing down the River Clyde and over the centre of
Glasgow, several miles away.

Water supplies are being lifted from the River Clyde and from a nearby
water main.

A firefighting tug has been called for to assist fighting the blaze from the
river, while water rescue boats have been called to the dock's edge to look
after the safety of firefighters.

The surrounding area has not been evacuated and no one has been injured.

Police say the fire started yesterday afternoon when a car exploded as it
was being scrapped. The yard grounds metal and ships it to Europe to be
recycled.

Diggers at the site have been drafted in to rip huge chunks of scrap from
the blazing mound, in an attempt to help the firefighters get to it.

Hose-reel jets and ground monitors are also in use and seven fire engines
are at the scene.

A 300ft plume of smoke, stretching between five and 10 miles, gathered
south-west of Renfrew.

Strathclyde Fire and Rescue's scientific advisers have been monitoring the
smoke for harmful substances and the Scottish Environment Protection
Agency has also been advised.

Strathclyde Fire and Rescue Service described the blaze at the Christie &
Son Metal Merchants yard as a "mountain of mangled and twisted scrap
metal".

James H

wee minx

Scrappy fire Renfrew
Video

scallopboy

Shocker

Glad I'm breathing the clean air of Hannover at the moment and drinking lovely German beer

Hope u is all well and smoke-free

Aufwiederschein xxx

zolita1908

Rub it in why don't you

scallopboy

james73

Alex Glass

Great photos guys

My daughter saw it last night and it wasn't till later today that I heard it had been buring since 2.00pm yesterday

Don't know how I didn't see anything on my way home last night.

AlanM

james73

AlanM

wee minx

I took this pic a while back..must have been a fire then too

AlanM

That scrappy has been on fire a few times over the last few years.

This seems to be the biggest one yet though

james73

Fjord

falseface

great pictures guys