Kiverton Park Waste Fire Partner Briefing Note

Kiverton Park Waste Fire Partner Briefing Note

Thursday 10th November

Introduction

We have been responding to a large pile of burning waste materials for several weeks. The material is burning slowly and generating smoke, which is impacting on residents and causing concern within affected communities. The fire has proved very difficult to extinguish due to a crust of melted plastic forming over the waste which prevents firefighting water from reaching the seat of the fire.

Incident latest (last updated 8 November)

Work is continuing at Kiveton Park Industrial Estate in Rotherham to extinguish a waste fire and to minimise health and environmental impacts.

The incident is being dealt with via a multi-agency operation comprising the South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue, the Environment Agency, Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council, UK Health Security Agency and the Police.

This work will take some time and we ask local residents to bear with us while the work takes place.

On November 1, the Environment Agency brought in an excavator with a longer reach to give greater access to the waste inside the building. This will allow the Fire Service to tackle the fire.

This work, which started on October 7, is progressing well, but it is challenging due to the nature of the waste and the condition of the building the material is in.

We continue to explore all available options to bring this incident to a close.

The work is continuing to generate steam from the heat, while the on-going fire may create additional smoke.

The Environment Agency has also installed an external air quality monitoring unit close to the site.

Additionally, the Environment Agency is testing nearby watercourses on a daily basis. So far, no pollutants from this incident have been detected.

Local residents are asked to keep windows closed, avoid the area if possible and bear with us whilst this work is carried out.

If symptoms occur, people should seek medical advice or call NHS 111.

The waste is made up mostly of baled waste and is stored at an illegal waste site.

The Environment Agency is looking into potential offences at the site and for this reason is unable to comment further on the ongoing investigation.

If local residents have environmental concerns, they should contact the Environment Agency 24/7 hotline 0800 807060.

Health advice from UK Health Security Agency

Any smoke can be an irritant and as such, if people need to be outdoors, they are advised to avoid outside areas affected by any smoke or ash, or to limit the time that they spend in them.

Motorists needing to travel through the smoke should keep windows closed, turn off air conditioning and keep their air vents closed.

Residents in areas affected by smoke should stay indoors, keep their doors and windows closed, and follow fire service updates for further advice and information.

Some substances present in smoke can irritate the lining of the air passages, the skin and the eyes.

Respiratory symptoms include coughing and wheezing, breathlessness, sputum (phlegm) production and chest pain.

Chemicals in the smoke can worsen existing health problems like asthma. People with asthma should carry their inhaler.

A progress summary, including a detailed look at weather conditions and firefighting progress, can be viewed at http://www.syfire.gov.uk/incidents/kiveton-park-incident-latest/