Skip to content

Nearly 100 firefighters sent to blaze at recycling centre

Brian Higginson The long crane from a fire service appliance is hosing water over a fire. There is some smoke in the background and a fire engine in the foreground with its lights on as it is dark.Brian Higginson
The fire broke out on Sunday evening

Firefighters are tackling a blaze at a waste recycling centre outside Carryduff.

Crews were sent to the incident on the Hillsborough Road about 20:45 BST on Sunday. Large plumes of black smoke could be seen from miles around.

At the height of the blaze, up to 100 crew members were involved.

The Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) advised people living nearby to keep windows and doors closed, and asked members of the public to avoid the area.

NIFRS said 10 pumps, an aerial appliance and a high- volume pump were deployed.

A specialist rescue team and two water tankers were also at the scene.

The Irish Waste site sits between the Moss Road and Hillsborough Road, to the south west of Carryduff.

On Monday morning, there was a blanket of hazy smoke across the area.

NIFRS Group Commander Andy McVeigh is smiling at the camera. He is standing in front of a red and yellow fire truck. He has grey hair and is wearing a yellow fire-proof suit.
NIFRS group commander Andy McVeigh said he expected operations to continue into Monday afternoon

Operations were scaled back at 07:00 BST.

"It has been a significant fire for the operators of the site and for ourselves as a fire service," said NIFRS group commander Andy McVeigh.

"We'll continue to operate most likely for the rest of the day as it's a deep seated fire."

Democratic Unionist Party councillor Brian Higginson urged people to take care if they were near the site of the fire in County Down.

Alliance Party assembly member for the area Kate Nicholl said her thoughts were with the firefighters.