40 firefighters battle illegal tyre yard fire

40 firefighters and 6 engines were called to a fire on Rectory Farm, near the Jolly Waggoners roundabout, at around 4pm on 21st August.

It took almost 3 hours to bring the fire under control but 20 firefighters remained at the site for several hours trying to douse the smouldering tyres.

The blaze created a giant plume of smoke, which could be seen across London.

Hounslow Council had recently agreed to take enforcement action against the managers of the car wash and tyre yard because permission had not been granted for use of the land for either a car wash or the storage of tyres.

Site operators were given three months to clear the site or face possible legal action.

Eyewitness, Allan Huse said: “The heat was incredible and you could really smell the burning rubber, which was still in the air the following morning. I knew about the car wash but I wasn’t aware of the tyres being stored at the site until now because they were hidden behind the trees.”

The fire is thought to have been caused by an electrical fault and is not being treated as suspicious.