Thursday January 24
Staff at Envar Composting continue to work with and be advised by Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service and the Environment Agency to tackle the ongoing fire. Until this week the fire has been managed and controlled in line with the site fire plan using the available space available. The pile of compost that is burning covers a large area and the size of the site has meant there isn’t enough space to safely manoeuvre the stacks.
On Tuesday work began to offensively tackle the fire, which involves digging small piles out of the stacks using heavy machinery and covering it in water, then moving it to a safe area. This is now possible as there is enough space to move the safe compost away from the fire. Although we all hope to have the fire extinguished as quickly as possible, this isn’t a fast process. The current estimate from the site is around 10-15 days based on current conditions, however all attempts are being made to extinguish this as quickly as is possible. Fire crews will be making regular visits to the site.
We are all aware that this is not an ideal situation. The smoke and the odour are unpleasant for all the residents that have been impacted. The weather conditions have also not helped the situation as staff cannot operate heavy machinery safely when smoke and steam is limiting visibility.
While efforts are made to extinguish the fire, smoke and steam will still be generated from the site and may impact the surrounding area. Please be aware of this and take the necessary precautions of keeping doors and windows closed as required to reduce the impact. Those with any health concerns should discuss the concerns with their local GP, or use the NHS non-emergency number 111.
Environment Agency staff will continue working with the site operator to understand the circumstances of the fire, assessing compliance with the environmental waste permit.
For more detailed and updated information, please follow the link below
https://www.cambsfire.gov.uk/news-and-incidents/compost-fire-st-ives-5982.aspx