Resident complains of ‘sickening smell’ after blaze at Energy Works
PLUMES OF SMOKE ‘SMELL LIKE BURNING RUBBER’
A HULL resident has complained of “sickening smells” of burning plastic coming from the Cleveland Street Energy Works – as a fire raged on.
Sam, of Barnsley Street, near James Reckitt Avenue, says that instead of the flames dampening down, the blaze worsened, with plumes of smoke thickening and producing a smell of burnt rubber.
He took pictures at around 6pm on Monday of the smoke, which continued since the fire started at just after 1pm on Saturday.
“There are sickening smells of burning plastic coming from the Cleveland Street Energy Works and it seems to be getting worse and plumes of smoke getting thicker,” he said.
“It’s strange to have a fire go on for so long because it doesn’t seem that bad.
“Luckily, for the past couple of days, the wind has been blowing the smoke and fumes towards west Hull, but today [Monday] it’s lingered all day and it’s smelt like burning rubber.
“Although, on the plus side, it’s nice not hearing the noise the generators make through the night – it sometimes sounds like we’re living near an airport.
“We first heard of the fire through Facebook. We could hear sirens going off for a while and then saw the story.
“It is unsettling because other than the site being named as a green energy plant, we don’t know what it uses to generate power.
“To hear that a fire had broke out was alarming because the site is huge and there’s a lot of residential areas near by, you always think the worst.
“Hopefully control.”
Cleveland Street reopened on Monday morning as firefighters remained at the scene to secure the site.
Energy Works said an investigation would be carried out over the next few days, but added that it was “too early to establish the cause of the fire or the extent of the damage”.
It said they local get it residents under should continue to follow advice by keeping their windows closed.
On Monday, a spokeswoman for Humberside Fire and Rescue Service said their work was now “winding down”.
They said: “We are still in attendance. We have two pumps and an officer there.
“We are now looking at moving the actual waste that is on fire and it needs separating and damping down.
“The operation is now winding down.”
Four fire engines were initially sent to tackle the blaze as smoke was seen billowing out of the vents on the side of the building.
But reinforcements had to be sent in support later in the day, with eight fire engines, the command unit and the aerial platform in attendance.
Humberside Police also put a road closure in place in Cleveland Street, between Mount Pleasant and Chapman Street.
The smoke and fumes have lingered all day and it’s smelt like burning rubber
Sam