A team of 60 firefighters are tackling a large fire at a recycling facility in Horwich.
After being called to the Armstrong Group recycling plant, fire crews have continued to try to contain the blaze that broke out at 2 am after hundreds of tonnes of plastic refuse caught fire. Traffic has been shut down on Chorley New Road and the plume of smoke resulting can be seen for miles outside the facility. A support vehicle and eight of the county’s fire engines have been called to the scene.
A Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service spokeswoman said that crews arrived to find several hundred tonnes of rubbish ablaze, which mostly consisted of plastic waste in a storage facility. Four sectors are on fire requiring fire crews to ply water to extinguish the flames as well as to protect surrounding properties.
It is requiring vast quantities of water to combat the fire, the spokeswoman added, saying that the atmosphere coupled with wind direction was causing the smoke plume to be blown into nearby residential areas. The fire service continues to contain the blaze and is working with the Environment Agency to manage the area’s water supplies as well as collecting the run-off for reuse against the fire.
The spokeswoman also added that the Bolton council and the police will work closely with fire crews to investigate the incident. Chorley New Road was finally reopened by authorities at 9 am.
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