Fire Protection Association Highlights Industrial Estate Fire Still Issuing Toxic Smoke

A fire that broke out at an industrial estate near Rotherham is still issuing toxic smoke from burning waste eight weeks later. The warehouse at Kiveton Park Industrial Estate, which stores a mixture of domestic and industrial waste, caught fire in the early hours of 21 September 2022.

However, it appears that fire crews are still struggling to completely extinguish hotspots within the waste piles, mainly due to the amount of waste that has been stored there. 

fire suppression

When the fire first broke out, South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue (SYFR) sent six fire appliances, an aerial appliance, and a high-volume pump to the scene. Although the blaze was extinguished the following day, SYFR confirmed that waste was continuing to “burn/smolder” and additional fire crews were called in during the week to deal with “several seats of fire”.

A spokesperson for SYFR said, “These fires tend to burn for a long time just by the fact there is so much waste, and often the seat of the fire can be very deep. We continue to monitor the area.”

Cause of fire 

UKHSA, and South Yorkshire Police, EA have been assisting local fire crews to tackle plastic crust

According to ITV News, around 200,000 tonnes of waste have been alight since September, and the operation has turned into a multi-agency effort.

In addition to Rotherham Council, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), and South Yorkshire Police, the Environment Agency (EA) has been assisting local fire crews for several weeks to tackle the layer of “plastic crust” on top of the waste, which is preventing water from the fire hoses penetrating through.

Updates on active fire 

Geoff Craig, the Area Environment Manager, explained, "We are very slowly taking smoldering waste from a big waste pile, soaking it in water, and moving it elsewhere on the site to make sure it doesn't reignite.”

On 12 November, John Curtin, Executive Director of Operations at the EA, shared updates on the enduring waste fire on his Twitter page, “Much has improved since then, but the fire is still active in the abandoned waste pile.”

Additional challenges

The warehouse stretches over 130 meters and is 12 meters high. Curtain added that two-thirds of the burning waste has been safely dealt with but there is some way to go.

Additional challenges have been the limited amount of space in which to operate, with large machinery required to move the piles of waste safely. “It’s worth reflecting when you look at the waste [that] this could come from any of our homes,” Curtain posted.

external monitoring unit

After installing an external monitoring unit close to the site, the EA has also been monitoring the air quality

It is thought that the burning material is “made up of baled waste and is stored at an illegal waste site”, with the EA also considering whether a prosecution should be brought to the owners of the site.

Unsurprisingly, residents living near the industrial estate have been complaining of blackened windows and being kept up at night because of the “strong and intolerable” stench of the fumes.

After installing an external monitoring unit close to the site, the EA has also been monitoring the air quality of the nearby area, but found that particulate concentrations are low and “within air quality objectives”.

safety advice

According to Workshop Guardian, the safety advice issued to nearby residents by SYFR includes the following, “Any smoke can be an irritant and as such, if people need to be outdoors, they are advised to avoid outside areas affected by any smoke or ash or to limit the time that they spend in them. Motorists needing to travel through the smoke should keep windows closed, turn off air conditioning and keep their air vents closed."

Side-effects of the smoke 

“Residents in areas affected by smoke should stay indoors, keep their doors and windows closed, and follow South Yorkshire Fire Service updates for further advice and information. Some substances present in smoke can irritate the lining of the air passages, the skin, and the eyes. Respiratory symptoms include coughing and wheezing, breathlessness, sputum (phlegm) production, and chest pain."

“Chemicals in the smoke can worsen existing health problems like asthma. People with asthma should carry their inhalers. So far, there have been no reports of any people experiencing ill effects from this fire. However, if symptoms occur, people should seek medical advice or call NHS 111.”