The sky at night...
FLAMES illuminated the gloom and smoke billowed into the sky when a blaze tore through a tyre store on Tyneside last night.
Plumes of choking fumes could be seen for miles around when the blaze broke out on wasteland in Elswick in Newcastle’s West End.
Firefighters from Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service were called to scene on Beaumont Street shortly before 5pm yesterday.
Crews from Newcastle and Gateshead were dispatched to the wasteland of former housing on Westmorland Road, and the fire was safely brought wunder control within the hour.
Witnesses reported that billowing smoke could be seen from across the Tyne.
Builder Maurice Stevens, a 46-year-old dad-of-12, said: “I was driving from Blaydon and was at the McDonald’s roundabout when I first saw the smoke.
“I then drove to Blaydon Bridge and could see the flames from there. I wanted to see what was happening and drove closer. “The fire was on wasteland where houses used to stand on Westmorland Road, opposite St Joseph’s Convent.” A Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue spokesperson said: “It was a large pile of tyres that were on fire.
“The fire has now been extinguished and we have passed on the incident to the Environment Agency.
“Two fire engines - one from Colby Court in Newcastle and One from Lobley Hill in Gateshead attended and we used one jet to put out the fire.
“We received 18 999 calls in total, the first received at 4.59pm.”
The fire was on wasteland where houses used to stand on Westmorland Road... Maurice Stevens