Fire clean up warning to County Durham residents

A blaze at a County Durham tyre factory back in April has left a delicate situation in terms of the imminent clean-up, now the fire has been brought under a manageable level, warned the local council.

Residents have been warned to expect the release of more smoke during the operation to clear the area as the fire involved the burning of many tonnes of rubber at the Envirotyres factory until it was eventually brought under control.

The fire at Littleburn Industrial Estate, near Langley Moor, had been left to burn itself out rather than using water that would release even more smoke into the environment.

With the clean-up operation getting underway this week to finally put the fire out, the council has told people who live nearby what to expect. A spokesperson said:

“We want to reassure local residents and businesses that if they do see smoke coming from the site that there is no cause for alarm as it will be a direct result of the clean-up work.”

The situation is being jointly managed by Durham County Council, County Durham and Darlington Fire and Rescue Service, the Health Protection Agency and the Environment Agency.

Residents had already been warned through leaflets sent out previously, about the precautions to take due to large amounts of smoke. The air quality is currently being monitored by the agencies involved.