A fire at a Jayplas facility in Birmingham is among the biggest ever dealt with by West Midlands Fire Service.
Around 100,000 tonnes of paper and plastic is believed to have caught fire on the night of 30 June when a sky lantern floated onto the site.
Within two hours, 35 fire engines were involved with fire crews called in from Hereford and Worcester and Staffordshire fire brigades.
In a statement, West Midlands Fire Service said: “We have classified the fire as a major incident, due to the strain it has placed on our resources. Staff in our control room have so far taken 420 calls related to the incident.
“We had been due to host Chris Williamson, the Shadow Fire Minister, today but his visit has been cancelled given that all our officers are committed at the scene in Smethwick.
“Up to 200 firefighters have been using assertive tactics to control the blaze, which involves 100,000 tonnes of recycled plastic and paper in an area 300 metres square.
“Two firefighters have been treated at hospital – one for an eye injury and one for an ankle injury. Eight more have been treated at the scene for the effects of the intense heat.”
A plume of smoke was rising more than 6,000 feet into the air, according to the fire brigade.
Jayplas is the trading name of J & A Young (Leicester) Ltd. It has plastics recycling facilities in Loughborough, Derby, Manchester and Birmingham.
