Recycling site blaze sparked by vegetation
FIREFIGHTERS tackled a blaze at a Derbyshire waste disposal plant that involved “compostable vegetation”.
The incident happened at the Vital Earth recycling plant in Blenheim Road, Ashbourne, yesterday.
Plumes of smoke could be seen coming from the site and the fire produced a smell that could be detected from miles around.
Six fire engines, one aerial ladder platform, one support vehicle and one water carrier were sent to the Airfield Industrial Estate in the town just after 8am to deal with the incident. By 12.45pm, four engines remained at the scene, but the operation was being scaled down as relief crews arrived.
Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service said earlier: “We have six fire appliances dealing with a fire at Airfield Industrial Estate in Ashbourne.
“The fire is involving compostable vegetation.
“Crews from Ashbourne, Nottingham Road, Duffield, Belper, Wirksworth, Ascot Drive with the Aerial Ladder Platform and Buxton with the control unit are all in attendance. The service received the call to attend the incident at 08:08 hours this morning.”
A reporter at the scene was told by a staff member from the recycling plant that the fire was not large scale, but due to the abundance of material, a lot of smoke was produced.
A Vital Earth spokesperson said the fire the fire was “nothing to worry about” and that no one was injured.
They would not comment on the possible cause.
It is not the first fire to affect the plant, with two in 2008.
One was caused by compostable material, after which the company said measures had been put in place to ensure it would never happen again. The other was in a metal recycling plant.
Vital Earth uses waste to create sustainable composts, fertilisers and other products at its £10million site in Ashbourne, which opened in 2006.
The family company employs around 30 staff and works with Derbyshire County Council and Derbyshire Dales District Council, among others, on waste disposal.