Smoke warning as work starts to extinguish large bonfire

Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service returned to the site of a former hotel in Swindon yesterday afternoon in a bid to fully extinguish a large bonfire.

Significant amounts of demolition waste from the derelict Mercure Hotel on Old Vicarage Lane, South Marston have been burning out under control since early yesterday, September 10.

Although there is nothing harmful in the waste, local residents – especially anyone with a pre-existing respiratory condition – have been advised to keep doors and windows closed as a precaution, due to the amounts of smoke.

A site meeting between the Service, Swindon Borough Council, the Environment Agency, Wiltshire Police and Public Health England convened early Sunday morning to discuss whether intervention was required.

Group Manager Dave Jacomb, from Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service, said: “As the wind had changed direction, and the smoke plume was being driven over local homes rather than away from the site, it was agreed that we should work to bring this fire to a close sooner rather than later.

This, in the short term, increased the smoke as we broke our way into the stack to fight the fire, but leaving this bonfire to burn out could see smoke for up to a week.”

Over the course of the afternoon, three fire crews tackled the blaze, supported by on-site contractors who used their heavy machinery to move unaffected waste and break up the pile. A water carrier and an incident command vehicle was also mobilised.

Firefighting continued until about 7pm yesterday and then resumed this morning at 9am.

Mr Jacomb said: “We apologise to any local residents who are affected by smoke as we fight this fire; however, the decision to intervene has been made by all of the agencies involved, as leaving the fire to burn out under control would create more of an issue for the community over a longer period of time.”