Ellington recycling centre blaze causes problems for firefighters

A fire which swept through Huntingdon Recycling Centre last Saturday was still burning on the Monday morning, meaning that fire crews had to remain at the scene until the flames had been fully extinguished.

The fire began in the early hours of Saturday when it was reported that more than a tonne of waste composted material had caught fire at the site in Ellington.

At the height of the blaze, about 3.30am, it took nine crews and around 60 firefighters to try and bring the situation under control. There was also support from the US Air Force who helped to provide water supplies to the Cambridgeshire, Northamptonshire and Bedfordshire firefighters.

This caused the A14 westbound in Cambridgeshire to be closed for a number of hours and there was subsequent traffic disruption to the surrounding area.

The wood pulp fire was combatted by using heavy machinery, which helped to prevent the flames from spreading further.

However, despite getting a grip of things, firefighters still had to battle against strong winds which aggravated the situation, accounting for the prolonged nature of the fire.

Two fire crews were therefore still in attendance on the Monday morning, with a water foam unit in operation.
It is still not known what caused the fire and if it was started deliberately.