Fire crews tackle recycling centre blaze for third night

Firefighters tackled a blaze at a recycling centre for the third night as residents have been told to remain indoors.

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service said two fire engines remain on site at the fire at Byrehill Place, Kilwinning, Ayrshire, which started on Monday evening, with the blaze now “under control”.

Six fire engines and a height appliance went to the scene after the alarm was raised at 10.05pm on Monday with about 40 firefighters mobilised at the height of the incident.

Police advised residents in the North Ayrshire town to stay indoors and keep their windows and doors closed as a precaution while emergency services dealt with the fire.

On Wednesday, the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service warned of a possible increase in smoke from the site through “increased activity” in attempt to fully extinguish the blaze and warned residents not to be alarmed but to “remain at home with doors and windows shut”.

A Scottish Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson said on Thursday morning: “Firefighters remain at the scene of a fire within a recycling centre on Byrehill Place, Kilwinning.

“Two fire appliances are in attendance and crews are working to gain full access to the site to bring the incident to a safe conclusion.

“We continue to work with the recycling centre and partner agencies to minimise the disruption to the local community and will continue to provide updates.”

John McKenzie, Scottish secretary of the Fire Brigades Union (FBU), warned the health and safety of fire crews was at a heightened risk due to having been on the scene for such a long period of time.

He said the crews “have been doing a fantastic job at a challenging incident preventing the spread of the fire and keeping the public safe”.

He added: “However, we know that Scottish firefighters are up to four times more likely to get certain cancers than the general population and are therefore concerned about the potential impact of fire contaminants on firefighters at the scene.

“The FBU continues to call for much needed additional investment to ensure that all appropriate decontamination and associated measures are in place to protect firefighters across Scotland from fire contaminants.”