Fire crews remain at factory units tyre blaze

Firefighters have spent the night tackling a blaze that broke out in factory units and involved 20 tonnes of tyres.

At the peak of the blaze on Sunday, more than 70 firefighters attended the scene on Great Bridge Street between Tipton and West Bromwich, and several nearby homes were evacuated.

Residents were allowed to return to their homes on Elwell Street on Sunday night, West Midlands Fire Service (WMFS) said, but five fire engines and a hydraulic aerial platform remained at the scene.

Crews remained there on Monday and police were continuing to manage cordons and access to nearby buildings, WMFS added. No-one was reported injured.

The fire sent a thick plume of smoke into the air, with the public warned to stay away from the area.

Crews used a drone to monitor the scene and drew water from a nearby canal.

One social media user posted on X that the fire, which started at about 10:40 BST on Sunday, could be seen from Bilston, about four miles away.

Initially, the fire involved a single-storey unit measuring 100m by 100m, WMFS said, later confirming that four units were involved.

A structural engineer has been to the scene amid concerns of a partial building collapse, according to the service.

Engineers were called to isolate any affected gas and electricity supplies, with further investigations expected to take place on Monday.

Representatives from National Grid, Severn Trent, the Environment Agency and Sandwell Council have also been at the scene.

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