Fire drama - live blog (From Worcester News)

6:07pm

5:13pm

 Police are continuing to liaise at the scene with the fire service.
 

5:12pm

A diversion has been in place around the Birchen Coppice estate but traffic has been very heavy and conditions made more difficult by poor visibility due to thick smoke from the plant combined with fog.  

5:12pm

Police are urging motorists to avoid the area if at all possible.

5:11pm

Stourport Road will remain closed overnight.

4:42pm

4:32pm

4:19pm

Traffic update

4:10pm

Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service said the recycling plant had an excellent safety record and staff at the site assisted with the incident by using their machinery to help move waste material. 

4:09pm

People who have been evacuated will not be able to return to their properties until the heavy smoke clears.

4:08pm

Area Commander Jon Pryce from Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service, said: “We arrived at the plant to find a deep-seated fire in a huge pile of waste materials awaiting recycling.

"The fire is now under control but we expect crews to remain at the site for some while yet.”

He confirmed  there were no injuries as a result of the incident and that the building being used to store the thousands of tons of waste material was unaffected by the fire. 

He explained that the incident had generated a large quantity of smoke which, due to the foggy weather conditions, had not dispersed.

This led to several nearby business premises being evacuated as a precautionary measure and advice being issued to those living or working nearby to keep their doors and windows closed.

4:07pm

Fire crews are still at the scene damping down.

3:47pm

3:46pm

3:46pm

Stourport Road is still closed and is expected to remain closed until the early evening.

3:40pm

Firefighters now have the fire under control.

1:51pm

1:16pm

Community Housing Group staff have had to evacuate from their offices, in Stourport Road.

They have relocated to the Hoo Farm Industrial Estate.

All repair calls should be unaffected.

the group's freephone number - 0800 169 5454 - will be manned at the new location. 

1:13pm

People are being asked to avoid the Stourport Road area due to local traffic congestion and thick smoke, made worse by the foggy weather conditions.

Those living nearby are also advised to keep windows and doors closed until the fire is brought under control.

1:13pm

Some local residents are being evacuated as a precautionary measure. 

1:12pm

Ten fire crews are using three main jets as they tackle the blaze in some recycling material inside a large (250m x 100m) recycling plant at the site.

1:12pm

Firefighters are still tackling the fire.
 

12:57pm

AN investigation will be launched into the cause of the fire.

Graham Silk, health and safety officer for the recycling centre, said  it was not yet known what had caused the blaze, adding no-one was injured.

"There's no missing people," he said. "Everyone got out within three minutes.

"There is nothing toxic but the environmental teams are here just incase."

12:48pm

12:47pm

12:47pm

Shuttle reporter Becky Carr, who is currently at the scene, said the air is filled with "thick" smoke.

12:46pm

David Perry, of printing firm Stargold Ltd, in Stourport Road described how he saw smoke billowing from the the recycling centre.

12:36pm

Nine fire crews from Kidderminster, Stourport, Bewdley, Bromsgrove, Droitwich, Upton, Tenbury and Worcester have been scrambled to the scene.

A hazardous materials officer, a Command Support Unit from Shropshire and a further fire appliance from Stourbridge, also attended.

12:34pm

Residents have been told to close their windows and doors as fire crews tackle the blaze.

12:33pm

Police have closed parts of Stourport Road between the Oldington Road traffic lights and the Loom and Shuttle pub.

Traffic is being diverted around Walter Nash Road.

12:32pm

No-one is believed to have been injured in the blaze.