Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) have tackled two material facility blazes within two days.

The fires broke out at a Levenshulme scrap metal firm in Manchester on Tuesday (25 February), and Horwich Loco Industrial Estate in Bolton today (27 February).

Sandfold lane fire, 25 February

The first fire, at IJ Kayes Scrap Metal facility on Sandfold lane, Levenshulme was reported at 4pm on Tuesday.

Water jets and an aerial appliance were used to suppress the blaze, with 30 firefighters from ‘across Manchester’ attending the scene at the height of the incident.

Station Manager Station Manager Ian Tracey said: "Crews did a fantastic job tackling the fire that involved a large amount of scrap metal. Firefighters surrounded the fire and stopped it from spreading to nearby buildings and machinery.

"During the incident we worked with the Environment Agency and United Utilities to ensure that water run-off from the fire was kept to a minimum."

The incident was eventually scaled down to three fire crews at around 10.30pm and firefighters remained at the scene throughout the night.

By 7am on Wednesday (26 February), just three fire crews remained.

Horwich Loco Industrial Estate fire, 27 February

The second fire, at Horwich Loco Industrial Estate, off Chorley New Road, Bolton, was reported at 12.26am today.

The fire affected the building belonging to Daly Plastics, a plastics manufacturing company specialising in bottle tops.

Like the Sandfold lane fire, aerial appliances were used to tackle the flames from above, with around 40 firefighters’ attending the schene at the height of the blaze.

Wayne Guffogg, Station Manager said: "Firefighters worked hard to contain the fire to the building involved and stop it spreading to neighbouring businesses. We worked with local businesses to re-open the roads on the industrial estate and allow workers to go about their day to day business."

By 7.15am today, the incident was scaled down with around 15 firefighters at the scene. However, local residents were being advised to keep windows and doors closed due to the ‘toxic’ smoke emanating from the burning plastic.

Waste site fires commonplace

Fires at material sites such as these are commonplace, with figures released last year showing that between 2001 and 2012, the average rate of fires at waste and recycling works came in at just under one per day. Indeed, firefighters tackled a large blaze at Nottinghamshire Recycling Limited's recycling centre in Worksop just last week.

Further to the environmental and social damage that waste fires cause, the cost of clearing up such fires is extensive; the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service has revealed that emergency services in Scotland spent £15.9 million tackling 8,000 waste fires in 2012/13.

The Environment Agency has released guidance aimed at reducing the outbreak of fire at waste storage sites. Prepared in partnership with the Chief Fire Officers Association (CFOA), the new Technical Guidance Note (TGN) ‘Reducing Fire Risk at Sites Storing Combustible Materials’, identifies a range of measures that operators of waste storage sites should implement to minimise the risk of fire.

Watch the GMFRS' video of the Horwich fire.