Sprinklers save Wiltshire waste recycling plant from serious fire

Wiltshire Fire & Rescue Service has helped avert a disaster at a multi million pound waste recycling plant in Westbury.

Fire engines from Trowbridge, Warminster, Bradford on Avon and an Incident Control Vehicle from Devizes attended the blaze earlier this month [18 March] but because the building was protected by sprinklers the fire was contained to one area, limiting the damage to the building and the surrounding environment.

As a precaution Wiltshire Council were informed of the smoke plume that had the potential to affect the surrounding area. Due to the sprinkler system containing the fire, crews were quickly able to control and extinguish the fire.

Station Manager Richard Humphrey, who attended the incident, said "The sprinkler system saved the day - a number of sprinkler heads were operating, containing the fire to one area and the building was heavily smoke logged.”

"Six firefighters in breathing apparatus used water jets to surround and extinguish the fire. Firefighters then worked with the on-site team and their machinery to dig out and dampen down around 150 tonnes of household waste. Had it not been for the sprinkler system containing the fire, there would've been much more material involved and we would've been here for many more hours."