Swansea Council Counting the Cost of Tyre Blaze
Swansea council have claimed over 1.5 Million pounds from the Welsh government to help them cover the costs of a tyre fire last summer. The money is to be claimed from the government’s emergency financial assistance scheme.
Last June the fire began and it continued to blaze for 21 days! It has been claimed that as much as 5000 tonnes of car tyres and 4×4 tyres had been dumped illegally at the site. That many tyres on fire had a massive effect on the local environment. Swansea council had help from the environment agency to try and lessen this impact.
The police and fire brigade worked together to first extinguish the fire and then work out who was responsible. The fire brigade first had to remove walls of the factory to be able to access the blaze. They then had big containers of water and dams built on the site into which they could drop the burning car and van tyres into. The official bill to dispose of the waste left behind from the burnt tyres was an estimated £800,000.
Air quality was monitored on a daily basis and concerns of a nearby stream being contaminated by the burning rubber were all under the environment agency’s radar. People with chest and lung problems were advised to stay away and keep their doors and windows closed. However, local school children were disappointed as their schools remained open! Local businesses were kept up-to-date with information from the environment agency by way of posters and flyers.
Two people were arrested and then released on bail for the illegal disposal of tyre waste.