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| Version 4 | Version 5 |
|---|---|
| Fire breaks out at landfill site | Fire breaks out at landfill site |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Smoke from the fire was visible for miles around | Smoke from the fire was visible for miles around |
| More than 50 firefighters have been called to a fire at a landfill site in east Cornwall which has been declared a major incident by emergency crews. | More than 50 firefighters have been called to a fire at a landfill site in east Cornwall which has been declared a major incident by emergency crews. |
| Crews from Devon and Cornwall were sent to the site at Lean Quarry, east of Liskeard, after the alarm was raised at about 0430 BST. No-one was injured. | |
| People in a nearby village and schools were told to stay inside because of burning plastic. | |
| Environmental health officers have been monitoring the air in the area. | |
| Gas extraction | Gas extraction |
| The site, privately run by the waste company Viridor, takes industrial and domestic waste from Plymouth and Cornwall. | The site, privately run by the waste company Viridor, takes industrial and domestic waste from Plymouth and Cornwall. |
| The fire broke out at the eastern end of the tip and the alarm raised by a lorry driver delivering waste to the site. | |
| Viridor site manager Terry Farrant said: "It was very foggy here this morning. One of our drivers came in at about 4.30 and, in the fog, he could see what was a glimmer and raised the alarm." | |
| Smoke has been visible for miles around the site. It also blew across the A38 when fog and low cloud prevented it from dispersing. | |
| Firefighters said they had been taking water from a lagoon on the site to tackle it. | |
| Firefighters from Devon and Cornwall were called to the scene | Firefighters from Devon and Cornwall were called to the scene |
| They added that there was a considerable risk from methane, a gas that builds up naturally in landfill sites, and they were monitoring the situation closely. | |
| Mr Farrant said the site's methane extraction equipment was still being used to remove gas, but that it might have to be shut down if the fire got any closer to any pumps. | |
| A number of small bangs have been heard by site staff. They were believed to be aerosol cans exploding, Mr Farrant said. | A number of small bangs have been heard by site staff. They were believed to be aerosol cans exploding, Mr Farrant said. |
| Two nearby schools, Trewidland Primary and Trenode Church of England School, did not to open until 1000 BST because of the fire. | |
| Staff were advised to keep everyone indoors, plus shut the buildings' doors and windows. Similar advice was also given to households in the village of Horningtops by police. | |
| The cause of the fire is not yet known. Mr Farrant added the recent hot weather may have contributed, but that was not certain. | The cause of the fire is not yet known. Mr Farrant added the recent hot weather may have contributed, but that was not certain. |