Large blaze at landfill site brings 11 different fire crews out across multiple days

Firefighters tackled a large blaze at a landfill site this week which brought multiple firefighting crews to the scene across two days.

The fire was at the Special Waste Transfer Station on St George's Lane in Ascot, belonging to Shorts Group Ltd.

Reports of the blaze came to Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service (RBFRS) at 7.39pm on Wednesday (July 16).

Crews from 11 different fire stations were sent to the scene – Windsor, Maidenhead, Crowthorne, Mortimer, Ascot, Wokingham, Langley, Caversham Road, Whitley Wood, and Bracknell fire stations, as well as two crews from Surrey Fire and Rescue Service.

There was also an Incident Command Unit from Maidenhead Fire Station, a specialist vehicle used to manage large or complex incidents like major fires, floods or chemical spills.

Bracknell brought a Zetros Water Carrier – a large, heavy-duty off-road vehicle used to transport large volumes of wate, especially to places without easy access to hydrants, like industrial sites.

Whitley Wood Fire Station also brought the Aerial Ladder Platform for dispensing water from above – and an Operational Support Unit, a specialist vehicle used to provide extra equipment at major incidents.

There were also six officers across the two different fire services in attendance. These are senior-ranking personnel who take on command during an incident, again dispatched for complex or major incidents.

Upon arrival, crews found a large waste fire, which the Express understands did not spread to any buildings.

Firefighters used four main jets, three hose reels and two water hydrants to extinguish the blaze.

The fire was brought under control and contained on Wednesday, but the incident response remained ongoing, and firefighters were at the scene overnight and into the next day.

On Thursday, crews were still there, continuing to dampen down the fire.