Watch dramatic drone footage showing the scale of huge recycling plant blaze that took four days to extinguish

Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service have released drone footage that shows the scale of a fire at a recycling plant in Birtley that took four days to extinguish.
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Crews from Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service (TWFRS) received a report of the fire in Birtley at 10.38pm on Monday, February 7, and the first appliance was on the scene within just four minutes.

Due to the scale of the fire, a further nine appliances arrived on the scene to try and bring the blaze under control.

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In total, more than 60 firefighters were at the site over a four-day period, using drones, aerial ladder platforms and thermal imaging cameras to tackle key parts of the fire to bring it under control.

TWFRS have released drone footage that shows the scale of the blaze in Birtley.TWFRS have released drone footage that shows the scale of the blaze in Birtley.
TWFRS have released drone footage that shows the scale of the blaze in Birtley.

Speaking on Thursday, Chief Fire Officer Chris Lowther praised TWFRS staff for their efforts in keeping the community safe.

He said “It’s been an incredibly tough four days for our operational crews and staff but I couldn’t be more proud of the way they have stepped up to the challenge.

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“It’s not often that incidents like this happen in our region but I hope that this response shows our local communities that we will always be there when they need us.

“This is why we practice and test our skills, because when things like this happen we are quick into action and know what needs doing.

“I also want to thank our partners who have helped us throughout the four day effort, working so closely and sharing knowledge is key in situations like this and without them it would have been incredibly difficult.

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"We work with blue light and other partners on the basis of Joint Emergency Service Interoperability Principles (JESIP) and these have stood us in good stead in working to resolve this emergency and support public safety.

“I’m extremely proud of my staff for their response.”

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An investigation is now underway into the incident, with Northumbria Police treating the incident as a suspected arson.

If you have any information please contact police via the ‘Tell Us Something’ page of their website or by calling 101 quoting reference number NP-20220207-1158.

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