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| Smurfit Kappa fire: Crews tackle paper mill blaze | Smurfit Kappa fire: Crews tackle paper mill blaze |
| (about 7 hours later) | |
| Tens of thousands of tonnes of cardboard is on fire at a paper mill in Birmingham. | Tens of thousands of tonnes of cardboard is on fire at a paper mill in Birmingham. |
| Fourteen fire crews remain at the Smurfit Kappa plant, a mill for recycled packaging, in Nechells. | |
| More than 65 firefighters are tackling the blaze in Mount Street, which broke out at about 22:00 BST on Wednesday, and 100 were at the scene overnight. | |
| The fire service said no-one had been injured and the fire was not thought to be suspicious. | The fire service said no-one had been injured and the fire was not thought to be suspicious. |
| Crews, who are expecting the fire to burn for several days said it was now confined to a seven-acre area at the site, near the M6 motorway. | Crews, who are expecting the fire to burn for several days said it was now confined to a seven-acre area at the site, near the M6 motorway. |
| West Midlands Fire Service said a potentially dangerous situation was averted when a train carrying aviation fuel, due to pass the site at about 05:00 BST, was stopped eight miles away by Network Rail. | West Midlands Fire Service said a potentially dangerous situation was averted when a train carrying aviation fuel, due to pass the site at about 05:00 BST, was stopped eight miles away by Network Rail. |
| Following a safety assessment the train was allowed to continue 45 minutes later. | Following a safety assessment the train was allowed to continue 45 minutes later. |
| 'Fanning fire' | 'Fanning fire' |
| Nigel Sowden, from the fire service, said they had scaled down the number of appliances at the paper mill and were concentrating on "reducing the amount of smoke and ash". | Nigel Sowden, from the fire service, said they had scaled down the number of appliances at the paper mill and were concentrating on "reducing the amount of smoke and ash". |
| Mr Sowden said: "We got here very quickly. | Mr Sowden said: "We got here very quickly. |
| "There were 20 fire engines at its height and we managed to surround the site and protect the fire going off site. | "There were 20 fire engines at its height and we managed to surround the site and protect the fire going off site. |
| "We did have an issue with the high winds fanning this fire and driving embers off the site so we did have a number of fire engines in the local community extinguishing small pockets of fire." | "We did have an issue with the high winds fanning this fire and driving embers off the site so we did have a number of fire engines in the local community extinguishing small pockets of fire." |
| Mr Sowden said they now hoped to get mechanical diggers on site to help put out the fire. | Mr Sowden said they now hoped to get mechanical diggers on site to help put out the fire. |
| A police helicopter was used to assist firefighters and a cordon remains in place around the industrial and residential area. | A police helicopter was used to assist firefighters and a cordon remains in place around the industrial and residential area. |
| The A47 Heartlands Parkway was closed in both directions between the B4114 Saltley Viaduct/Mainstream Way and B4137 Cuckoo Road. | The A47 Heartlands Parkway was closed in both directions between the B4114 Saltley Viaduct/Mainstream Way and B4137 Cuckoo Road. |
| West Midlands Police said it had been monitoring the fire due to its proximity to the M6, but reported no smoke-related problems on the motorway. | West Midlands Police said it had been monitoring the fire due to its proximity to the M6, but reported no smoke-related problems on the motorway. |
| 'No explosion' | 'No explosion' |
| Smurfit Kappa released a statement in conjunction with the fire service that said: "At approximately 10pm last night a fire started in the paper yard and rapidly spread to the remaining raw material stock. | Smurfit Kappa released a statement in conjunction with the fire service that said: "At approximately 10pm last night a fire started in the paper yard and rapidly spread to the remaining raw material stock. |
| "Emergency services were called and are co-ordinating a combined operation to bring the situation under control. | "Emergency services were called and are co-ordinating a combined operation to bring the situation under control. |
| "No one has been injured and we are co-operating fully with the emergency services on site." | "No one has been injured and we are co-operating fully with the emergency services on site." |
| Carl Mcguire, manager of M&M Steel Stock on nearby Trevor Street, said the fire had prevented him from accessing the company's offices. | Carl Mcguire, manager of M&M Steel Stock on nearby Trevor Street, said the fire had prevented him from accessing the company's offices. |
| He said: "Obviously we're faced with the situation now where we've had to tell all the lads to go home. | He said: "Obviously we're faced with the situation now where we've had to tell all the lads to go home. |
| "We've got customers expecting deliveries today which unfortunately are not going to happen." | "We've got customers expecting deliveries today which unfortunately are not going to happen." |
| Nearby resident Lewis Casey said the flames were "about 30 ft high" at the height of the fire. | Nearby resident Lewis Casey said the flames were "about 30 ft high" at the height of the fire. |
| Mr Casey said: "There was no explosion. It's quite a noisy factory at night so I don't think you could have noticed the difference. | Mr Casey said: "There was no explosion. It's quite a noisy factory at night so I don't think you could have noticed the difference. |
| "When I was watching there was only one fire engine at the scene. | "When I was watching there was only one fire engine at the scene. |
| "That's what woke me up and as soon as I'd come downstairs there were 10 or 11 of them." | "That's what woke me up and as soon as I'd come downstairs there were 10 or 11 of them." |