Workers near a fire at an industrial estate in Colwick said they have seen 'nothing like' the scale of blaze that took hold at a waste centre on Friday, April 15, morning. Eight fire engines are tackling a fire at a business on the Colwick industrial estate.
More than 20 tonnes of waste paper is on fire at the Biffa waste centre, according to Nottinghamshire Fire & Rescue. It comes less than 24 hours after another major fire in Clifton, where the former Clifton College campus on Farnborough Road was ablaze on Thursday (April 14) evening.
Residents living near to the scene of the Colwick fire are being urged to keep doors and windows closed, and are urged to avoid the area while the blaze is extinguished. An aerial ladder platform is at the scene to help firefighters put it out.
It's been business as usual for the premises that are due to open on Good Friday. But workers in the area say they have seen 'nothing like' the scale of this fire around there.
Franky Kerry, 57, who valets cars for Chris Allsop Holdings, said: "Nothing like that usually happens around here and I’ve been here for two years. There was a very small fire around a year ago but nothing like this.
Read more: Shattered glass and blown out windows at the scene of college campus fire in Clifton
"I got here around 7am and went to Sainsbury's around 8am and there was nothing. A customer brought their car and when they brought it, that's when I heard a fire extinguisher making a sound. I went to bring my cleaning stuff out when I had a look around the corner and saw fire engines there. Further up, they keep rubbish, so I wonder if it’s something to do with that."
Katherine Randall, 32, who works nearby, said: "We can see the smoke from our offices. It looks as if it's coming from Biffa opposite. I've seen eight fire engines. I got here at 8.45am this morning and the road wasn’t closed off.
"They must have turned up since we started. Fire engines have been coming in and out. This sort of thing doesn't happen around here often."
Dawn Bullock, 62, who works for Hilary's, said: "I didn't even know about it in all honesty. It's all industrial around here and you don't normally get any problems. It's normally nice and peaceful. There can be traffic with lorries and trucks when it’s not a bank holiday."
A spokesperson for the Fire Service said: "We are asking residents to keep doors and windows closed and avoid the area while we work to extinguish the fire."
Biffa spokesperson said. “We’d like to thank the Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue service for their quick response to a fire at our Colwick depot this morning. Crews are still on site and we apologise to local residents who are being affected by the smoke. A full investigation into the cause of the the fire will be undertaken. “
