Recycling fire believed to be accident

Investigators believe a fire at a recycling plant in Wolverhampton started accidentally.

The blaze began at about 05:00 BST on Monday at waste management firm Jones Skips on Cross Street, Wolverhampton, with eight fire engines initially sent to the scene.

West Midlands Fire Service (WMFS) has thanked businesses near the scene for their understanding, and has now cut its presence in the area, in the expectation of leaving the scene on Wednesday.

Jones Skips has said 500 tonnes of waste was burnt by the fire, but other parts of its business were operating normally.

"We continue to monitor air quality and site conditions closely, and will take any further action necessary to safeguard those in the vicinity," a spokesperson for The company said.

"We would like to extend our sincere thanks to the fire service for their swift response and continued support on site, and to our neighbours and the wider local community for their patience, understanding and cooperation during this time."

A WMFS spokesperson described it as a "challenging incident in hot conditions", with crews continuing to deal with "deep-seated pockets of fire" on Tuesday afternoon.

However, by Wednesday morning, the service said its presence was winding down: "Firefighters are currently dismantling and packing away our high volume pumping unit, which will likely take a couple of hours.

"All local roads are now open, and businesses able to operate as usual.

"We would like to repeat our thanks to everyone affected by this incident for their patience and understanding while we brought it to a safe conclusion."

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