Cause of fire at Wiltshire recycling centre may never be known
Blaze finally extinguished after three days
Last updated 22nd Nov 2021
Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue say the cause of the blaze at Grist Environmental Services Ltd last week may never be known because of the size of the waste heap affected.
Around 300 tonnes caught alight with around 25 fire-fighters called to the scene in Stert at 11.10pm on Wednesday (17th November).
It took three days to fully extinguish the fire which was eventually put out on Saturday afternoon with crews leaving the scene later that day.
It's believed to have started accidentally.
Huge task
Fire-fighters aided by staff at the site used machinery to shift the waste and drench it with water to ensure it wouldn't reginite.
A high-volume pump from Christchurch was also called to the scene to help and traffic lights had to be installed to protect the hoses which crossed the A342.
Residents nearby were advised to keep their windows and doors shut and Wiltshire Council monitored the air quality.
Locals thanked
Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue have thanked locals for their understanding over the past couple of days.
Group Manager Dave Adamson said:
"Our thanks go to local people for their patience while we tackled this fire, as we know the smoke was an issue for many in the immediate vicinity.
"Our multi-agency working with our partners – including the Environment Agency, central Government, Wiltshire Council, colleagues from Public Health and Wiltshire Police – helped to bring this incident to a safe and swift conclusion, reducing the impact to the community.
"Fires of this type are not unusual, so we now have a Waste Fire Tactical Advisor within the Service, who has received training through the National Fire Chiefs Council and Staffordshire Fire & Rescue Service. We are also exploring a memorandum of understanding with Grist Environmental, who have offered support to future incidents within our Service area, following the successful use of their heavy plant and operators during this fire."