Major incident declared in Wolverhampton over factory fire
Residents nearby have been evacuate and all trains have been stopped
Last updated 6th Dec 2022
Emergency services in Wolverhampton have declared a major incident after a fire engulfed multiple factory units and stopped trains.
The West Midlands Fire Service says it's had more than 100 firefighters on the scene at Lower Horseley Fields overnight.
The fire spread to a scene of over 200m-squared leading to an evacuation of nearby residents just after midnight.
West Midlands Police said they were assisting at the scene and had closed roads, adding that the public should stay away from the area.
West Midlands Ambulance Service was also there providing “specialist resources”.
“We can confirm that this fire involves multiple factory units, measuring a total of approximately 200m x 200m,” West Midlands Fire Service said.
“All nearby trains have been stopped.
“Our crews are tackling the blaze from multiple angles, and we have more than 100 firefighters in attendance.
“Our High Volume Pumping Unit (HVP) is pumping water from a nearby canal.
“A thermal imaging drone has been brought into use to provide us with an aerial view of the incident, helping inform operational decisions.”
Timeline
Just after 9pm on the 5th December West Midlands Fire received the first call to a large fire at a derelict factory.
The entire factory, measuring around 15m x 30m is involved in the fire.
Just after 10pm it was declared a major incident due to the size of the incident and it proximity to nearby houses and the railway line.
At 11.10pm the fire service confirmed the fire involved multiple factory units measuring a total space of 200m x 200m.
By 12.06am on the 6th December an evacuation area was set up for local residents with help from Wolverhampton Council. Transport was provided for people living nearby to two local leisure centres.
West Midlands Fire issued an update at 6.30am this morning (6th December) to say crews continued to fight the fire throughout the night with five fire engines remaining on the scene this morning.
It added that relief plans are being drawn up as emergency services look to bring the incident to a safe conclusion.
Trains
Due to the fire being so close to the railway lines all trains in the area have been stopped, with lines blocked this morning.
West Midlands Railway says trains running through Wolverhampton may be delayed or cancelled.
Disruption is expected until the end of today (Tuesday 6th November).
Roads
West Midlands Fire have told us this morning they expect road closures to remain in place for some time today as resources require access in and out of the incident area.
Lower Walsall Street, Lower Horseley Fields and Colliery Road are all currently closed.