The Marshgate Mountain From Hell! 

FIRE LATEST WEEK 5: UPDATE Friday 29 August 5.45pm
Progress being made by fire crews but residents getting impatient

 

Fire crews from Swindon and across the county are making progress in fighting the Marshgate fire.

 

But a full five weeks on from the start of the blaze on 21 July, smoke is still causing significant anguish for local residents and businesses.

 

 

"It's not the fire brigade's fault," one resident told us, "but the whole thing has gone on far too long. Everyone who lives around here is sick of the smell and the stench.

 

"I hope Averies are heavily fined or put out of business after this if they are found to be at fault. They don't seem to be a recycling firm at all, just a skip business using Marshgate as a tip."

 

Laborious process

 

Firefighters from Trowbridge were on the scene today dousing hot waste cleared by order of the Environment Agency before it is then transported to a landfill site in Blunsdon.

 

"It's not exactly Steve McQueen and the Towering Inferno in there," one commented, "but it's hard work getting to the heart of the fire and extinguishing it properly before it's moved off site."

 

No definite timescale has been put on finally putting the fire out.

 

FIRE LATEST: UPDATE Monday 18 August 10:22am  

Averies Miss Environment Agency Deadline

 

The Environment Agency have officially stepped in to move fire waste at Averies in Marshgate after the recycling firm missed their deadline to start its removal.

 

Averies were ordered to start shifting the 3,000 tonnes of rubbish on Friday that is obstructing firefighters from dousing the smoldering mountain of skip waste, which first caught fire on 21 July.

 

But after no sign of action, the Environment Agency have made the decision to organise the transfer to a permitted site themselves, starting this week.

  

FIRE LATEST: Thursday 14 August 7:45pm

Shift it! Averies ordered to immediately remove 3,000 tonnes of waste from blaze site so firefighting can restart

 

The Environment Agency has upped the pressure on Averies Recycling in a bid to solve the Marshgate fire problem.

 

Twenty-four days on from the initial blaze that has caused a smog and nauseous smell to envelop parts of Greenbridge as waste continues to smolder, Stephen Taylor, Chairperson of Strategic Co-ordination Group which is leading the multi-agency plan to deal with fire, announced the major step made today.

 

Summer of smog: The Marshgate fire started on 21 July (above) and is still smoldering (below)

 

“Using their enforcement powers, the Environment Agency has ordered Averies Recycling (Swindon) Limited (ARSL) to remove a total of 3,000 tonnes of waste from their Marshgate site in Swindon," he said.

 

"Averies Recycling (Swindon) Limited (ARSL) will need to begin to remove the waste tomorrow.

 

"The Environment Agency will continue to work as part of a multi-agency response to this incident, with Swindon Borough Council and other partners, to make ARSL take action and remove the waste.

 

"As the operators of the site, ARSL has the responsibility to remove and pay for the waste to be removed from the site to allow Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Services (FRS) sufficient space for the fire to be fully extinguished.”

 

Health concerns

 

The news was welcomed by Cllr Brian Mattock, Deputy Leader of Swindon Borough Council, who have dealt with a string of complaints from local residents and businesses affected by the fire.

 

“I am pleased that the multi-agency group has managed to move this challenging situation forward in a positive direction and that the waste will be moved to a permitted site.

 

"The council will continue to support all agencies involved in this difficult operation so any disruption is kept to an absolute minimum and we achieve the common goal of putting this fire out as quickly as possible.

 

"When the firefighters start tackling the fire more aggressively, the situation will inevitably seem worse before it gets better but I’m sure residents and local businesses are hugely relieved that there has been a breakthrough and an end is at last in sight.

 

"We remain grateful for people’s understanding and co-operation as work progresses to bring this matter to a much anticipated close for everyone.”

 

Penhill move ruled out

 

Swindon Borough Council confirmed to SwindonWeb the waste will NOT be temporarily moved to the former Park & Ride site in Penhill, as was previously planned.

 

 

Why is the fire not already out?

 

SwindonWeb understands the major problem with the fire centres around the waste tanks beneath the tip designed to trap toxins and fluids from the decaying refuse mountain itself that are now full with water from fighting the fire.

 

Any further dousing of the flames by the fire service will lead to contaminated water entering river tributaries nearby causing further pollution.

 

The plan to put out the fire involves the removal of rubbish so that the tanks can be emptied, and dampening down of waste on the site can restart.

 

Initial estimates at the removal rate of 3,000 tonnes enforced by the Environment Agency are put at 300 tonnes per day.