SIX fire engines were sent to tackle a huge blaze which broke out at a plastics factory.
Just after 5pm on Sunday, fire crews mobilised to Paterson Street in Blackburn, to a fire involving 100 tonnes of plastic.
Thick black smoke plumes could be seen rising into the sky, with residents advised to close their windows and doors.
A spokesperson for the fire service said: "At 5.06pm, six fire engines were called to an incident on Paterson Street, Blackburn.
"The fire involved 100 tonnes of plastic on fire at a waste facility.
"Firefighters are currently using hose reels and the stinger appliance to extinguish the fire.
"Residents in the local area are advised to close their windows and doors due to the smoke plume."
We currently have six fire engines in attendance of a fire at a commercial premise on Patterson Street, Blackburn. Residents in the local area are advised to close windows and doors if they are being affected by the smoke Further incident details to followhttps://t.co/aVZC6kjM63
β Lancashire Fire (@LancashireFRS) April 18, 2021
One resident, who lives on Mosley Street said at first, the fire service wanted to evacuate them, but a few minutes later they were told to stay indoors.
The resident said: "There's fire engines on the side street and lots of police and the area is cordoned off. They had it under control in a short space of time.
"When we had the last fires a few years before, they cleared pathways inside the plastic recycling centre so they were able to deal with it in future and I guess it reduces the risk of a huge fire spreading."
Images and a video sent to the Lancashire Telegraph showed plumes of thick black smoke coming from the old V10 Polymers site.
Another resident who lives close-by said: "There's a huge fire at the plastics factory again.
"It's at the back of the Clifton Arms. There's been three fires there in previous years.
"From what we can see there are a lot of fire engines on site, loads of police and two ambulances."
Great early physical action and swift initial decision making from the incident commander this afternoon at a waste fire in Blackburn @LancashireFRS ππ½ππ pic.twitter.com/jRHoj7kal0
β CFO Justin Johnston (@Lancs_FireDCFO) April 18, 2021
Great Bolton Street and Mosley Street were closed by the police and at around 6.10pm a spokesperson for the force said: "We are also asking for people to avoid the canal footpath between Highfield Road and Grimshaw Retail Park close to Asda in Blackburn which has been closed.
"We ask that you avoid the area. We will update when the roads are reopened."
Four years ago, the plastics factory caught fire twice in the space of a month with Paterson Street, Moseley Street and Highfield Road closed off by the police.
At the time the smoke could be seen by morning commuters on the M65 with around 30 homes evacuated as the inferno spread across the former V10 Polymers site in the early hours of September 27 2017.
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