‘Arsonists to blame’ for scrapyard blaze
CHARLOTTE GREEN
However, large earthmoving vehicles had to be drafted in to pull apart the pile of car wrecks to allow firefighters to extinguish the smouldering remains underneath.
Mr Taylor added: “On Wednesday the number of fire engines and crews has dramatically reduced to one overnight to monitor whether anything was erupting during the night.
“Most of the industrial estate was open for business on Thursday.
“The businesses were able to re-enter and there is no longer a road block on the site.”
He added the fire was effectively extinguished by Thursday, December 8, but crews continued periodic inspections into the next week.
On Wednesday, Lancashire County Council and Blackburn with Darwen councils had to step in to take on school run bus contracts, as Rigby’s Coaches drivers, based on the industrial estate, could not get on site.
The M65 was also closed for a short period between junctions 7 and 8, and motorway police had to deal with a collision next to the fire on the eastbound carriageway.
When contacted by the Observer, First Choice Car Spares declined to comment.
Anyone with information should call Lancashire Police on 101 quoting incident number LC-20161207-0109.