Mexborough residents evacuated following recycling plant fire

Around 20 residents who lived close to a former recycling plant in Mexborough had to leave their homes due to the heat generated from a large pile of tyres which had caught fire in the early hours of Monday morning.

It took around 60 South Yorkshire firefighters to tackle the fire which began at 1:30am on Monday at the industrial unit in White Lea Grove. The blaze began with the tyres and soon spread to a brick building within the vicinity.

The fire service had to organise the evacuation of local residents, while others leaving nearby were advised to close their windows and keep their doors shut. Fire crews remained on site for the rest of the day as they attempted to put out the fire and assess the damage.

A number of local roads had to be closed following the fire, with the A6023 between Main Street and Oak Road shut in both directions.

The cause of the fire is still unknown and it is too early to tell whether the blaze was started deliberately or not.

No matter what the investigation uncovers in this instance, if you are a business owner and want to protect your premises against fire, then it is important to install all necessary fire preventative measures and ensure your staff have completed the necessary fire safety training.