Firefighters remain at scene of Derry blaze

Firefighters remain at a major fire at a former waste management plant at Lisahally on the outskirts of Derry.

At its height, almost 50 firefighters from Crescent Link, Northland Road, Limavady, Strabane, Dungiven and Omagh tackled the blaze which was reported at around 8.30am yesterday.

Fire chiefs say it could take several days to extinguish the blaze which involves thousands of tons of household waste in warehouse at the site on Electra Road, formerly owned by Brickkiln which went into administration earlier this year.

While the fire is set to burn and residents living nearby advised to keep their doors and windows closed, fire chiefs said there was no risk to health as there was “no hazardous or toxic waste burning.”

The Fire Service described the incident as “protracted” due to the intensity of the fire, the nature of the blaze and material inside.

"Due to the compact nature of how the bales were stacked within the building, the water is running off the surface of the bales and is not currently reaching the seat of the fire within the building," it added.

"It is not safe to commit firefighters to enter the building as it is structurally unsafe,”

The new owner of the site, RiverRidge, had just completed its acquisition the previous evening and assumed management responsibility yesterday morning.

A spokesperson for the company said it was too early to establish the extent and the cost of the blaze.