Major Birmingham Scrapyard Fire Update as Cause of Blaze Revealed
Up to 80 firefighters had battled the blaze on Lifford Lane in Kings Norton yesterday, with the inferno that ripped through a Birmingham scrapyard now confirmed to have started accidentally. A dozen fire engines, a hydraulic aerial platform, and a 4×4 brigade response vehicle rushed to the scene from around 10.30am on Wednesday, April 1.
Fire Service Response and Investigation
Firefighters from West Midlands Fire Service later brought the fire under control and scaled back resources throughout the day. In an update, a fire service spokesman stated that crews had been dealing with remaining hotspots from the incident and would carry out a series of follow-up revisits throughout the night and today.
"We returned last night and will return again this morning to check there is no risk of the fire reigniting from hotspots," the spokesman said. "Fire investigators did attend and have established that it was an accidental cause."
Impact and Safety Measures
The fire caused a large smoke plume which was seen from miles away and also affected a nearby timber yard. Locals in the area had been advised to close windows and doors as a precaution. National Grid, Severn Trent, Canal and River Trust, Police, and ambulance crews were in attendance, but it was confirmed there were no casualties or injuries.
Crews were damping down the site and will look to hand back to the site owners in due course. A nearby railway line was not affected by the incident, and trains were able to run as normal, minimizing disruption to transport services.
