Investigation launched as major Sunderland scrapyard blaze extinguished

Thick clouds of smoke could be seen from across the city yesterday (Monday, July 19) after fire broke out at a scrapyard in Hendon Street just after 11 am.

Firefighters tackled the flames into the night, with the last crew leaving the scene at around 3.30 am on Tuesday, July 20.

The fire service has said that the cause of the fire is being investigated.

A Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service spokesman said: “We can confirm that the fire at Hendon Street in Sunderland has been extinguished.

"TWFRS crews were in attendance at the site through the night to dampen down the area and monitor the temperature of the materials that were the focus of the fire.

“The cause of the fire is currently being investigated. We are working with the owners and our community partners to gather as much information as possible regarding the incident.

“The final crew left the scene at 03:34am.”

The fire service had dispatched 10 appliances, two aerial ladder platform (ALP) appliances and 7 pumps to tackle the flames after the fire broke out just before lunchtime on Monday.

TWFRS Deputy Chief Fire Officer Peter Heath said on Monday evening tackling the blaze had been ‘extremely torturous’ for crews as they battled the intense heat all day.

Mr Heath said: “There was a large amount of materials in the scrapyard, which were the focus of the fire.

“It is extremely tortuous to work in this heat but the firefighters are committed to it.”

Appliances were dispatched to the incident from fire stations across Tyne & Wear including West Denton, Gosforth, South Shields, Marley Park, Farringdon, Sunderland Central, Washington and Gateshead Community Fire Stations.

The fire service has said that the first appliance was on the scene at 11:12 am, six minutes after the initial emergency call was received.

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