More than 100 firefighters have been working to contain and extinguish a ‘large fire’ at a facility run by recycling firm Tradpak Recycling (Tradpak) in Leeds.

At 1.55am yesterday morning (21 April), West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue (WYFR) received a call of a fire at Tradpak’s site at Albion Way, Armley.

According to WYFR, on arrival, fire crews reported seeing a ‘large building fire’, which was used for storing chemicals for recycling including liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). As such, the fire had caused several of the gas canisters to explode, giving fuel to the flames.

The flames had reportedly ‘engulfed Tradpak’s yard and some of its processing areas’ and spread to an adjacent building, packaging company Hazel Products. This further exacerbated the fire as the site contained ‘large quantities of cardboard, polythene, and gas oil’.

At the height of the fire, more than 100 firefighters used 15 fire engines, two hydraulic platforms and a specialist high-volume pumping appliance to prevent further spread.

However, several nearby buildings were evacuated in preventative measures. People in the city centre were also warned to keep windows and doors closed due to ‘potentially hazardous chemicals’ on the site; however, Superintendant Mabs Hussain of Leeds District Police, said that the smoke from the fire was ‘not toxic’.

Area being treated as a crime scene

Tradpak has this morning (22 April) issued a statement saying that although ‘damage was extensive’, no one was injured and the firm’s offices and some processing facilities ‘were undamaged’. Owner David Roebuck thanked the Fire Services and Environment Agency (EA) for their ‘magnificent efforts in mitigating the impact of the fire’.

The cause of the fire is currently under investigation by West Yorkshire Police and West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue. ‘Early indications’ from the investigating officers suggest that the fire started whilst the site was being burgled and the area is being treated as a crime scene.

This is said to be ‘further complicating recovery and firefighting efforts’.

As of this morning, six fire engines, two hydraulic platforms and the high volume pump remain at Tradpak’s yard to ‘dampen down’ the site. It is expected that fire crews will remain at least until the end of the day.

Managing Director of Tradpak Kevan Underhill thanked customers and suppliers for ‘their support and patience given the challenging circumstances’.

Tackling waste fires

Waste site fires 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, just last week afire broke out at FCC Environment’s new mechanical biological treatment (MBT) plant, which is currently being built at Bryn Lane in Wrexham.

To reduce the outbreak of fire at waste storage sites, the EA has released guidance that identifies a range of measures that operators of waste storage sites should implement to minimise the risk of fire.

Read the EA’s Technical Guidance Note ‘Reducing Fire Risk at Sites Storing Combustible Materials’.