Fire at Stert Contained

It’s good news from Devizes Fire Station, that the fire at the recycling plant at Stert has been contained. Early this evening, the station reported the fire is now under control and contained, after two nights of fighting the flames.

“We’ve not long returned from our relief crew at the waste yard,” they reported, “Slow but steady progress is being made by all crews with, the assistance of on-site staff, using their machinery to get in amongst the waste pile to extinguish in a safe area before being re-sited elsewhere. There will be DWFRS crews there for the foreseeable future and there are still large amounts of smoke in the area so we ask local residents to keep their windows and doors shut.”

It is expected crews will be on scene for a number of days, maintaining a watching brief and smoke will continue to affect the area. Making national news, it must bring into question practises at the Grist centre, in good time, being the second incident of a fire at the site since 2014, when February saw a week-long burning and bellowing smoke from the site spread across the area.

But I believe it is time to sincerely thank the firefighters involved in containing the incident so effectively, crews from Devizes, Calne, Trowbridge and Pewsey; you guys and girls rock!

Planning an update tomorrow, Grist Environmental said, “we would like to apologise to the residents of Devizes, Stert, Etchilhampton and the neighbouring villages, for any inconvenience caused by smoke from the fire, and for members of the public delayed by the traffic control at Monument Hill. We are grateful that no injuries or damage has been caused by this unfortunate fire, and we are thankful for the support of our tremendous staff who enabled us to continue operating throughout the day.”