Demolition contractors to help extinguish Swansea tyre fire
Demolition contractors have been summoned to help work on a derelict Swansea factory in a bid to help extinguish the blaze of tons of tyre waste that has been burning inside the building for more than 16 days.
Fire services have been unable to extinguish the inferno in 5,000 tons of so-called tyre flock (a product of tyre re-cycling), due to the difficulties presented by burning rubber. It has left a pall of toxic smoke to spread over the north-western side of the Welsh city.
Emergency services are now hoping that bringing the former Mettoys plant at the city's Fforestfach Industrial Estate down onto the fire will help speed up efforts to extinguish it. It is believed that the cost of the extinguishing process will ultimately cost the city council as much as £2 million.
Roger Thomas, group manager with Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service, said it had been a painstaking operation, and that demolition would give them much easier access to the site and help speed it all up.
"This is the first fire-fighting operation of its kind in Wales and we are making progress," he said. "We are extinguishing the fire by dragging out sections of it at a time, immersing it in containers full of water to ensure the fire is out and then transporting it away."
The demolition contractors are already thought to have begun work on the structure.
