UPDATE: Tyne and Wear firefighters praised as four day blaze battle comes to an end

Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service (TWFRS) have tonight (February 10) confirmed that the blaze has now been completely extinguished.

A tweet posted by TWFRS said: “After four days of fire fighting we have fully extinguished the blaze at the recycling plant in Birtley.”

Nine fire crews and 60 firefighters were involved in tackling the blaze after being called to Shee Recycling in Durham Road, Birtley, at 10.38pm on Monday night (February 7).

Residents in the area were urged to keep doors and windows shut as smoke drifted north towards the motorway. Fire crews were on the scene in four minutes, with drones, aerial ladder platforms, and thermal imaging cameras used in the operation to tackle the blaze.

Chief Fire Officer Chris Lowther has praised fire crews for their actions.

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.

“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.

“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.”

A full investigation was launched into the cause of the fire and a 19-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of arson.

However, officers say they are are also keen to trace another man who was believed to have been at the scene shortly before the fire and they believe may be able to assist with enquiries.

CCTV enquiries are under way but anyone with information is being urged to contact police via the ‘Tell Us Something’ page of the Northumbria Force website or by calling 101 quoting reference number NP-20220207-1158.

Alternatively, anyone who can assist the investigation can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

The fire resulted in a section of the nearby A167 having to be closed for two days with Northumbria Police confirming it reopened on Wednesday night (February 9).

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