IT’S still burning!
Fire crews from across Kirklees are still busy at a Dewsbury waste site – almost three weeks after the alarm was raised.
They are still attempting to put out a smouldering mountain of rubbish which has been alight all this month.
The mountain of rat-infested trade waste at Forge Waste Transfer, Ravenswharf Road, Scout Hill, has been smouldering since February 7.
Fire crews have been battling around the clock to extinguish the embers.
Local residents and councillors have been angered by the incident, as rats have been seen running into nearby streets from the site.
A fire spokesman said: “There are piles of stuff and the deep seated parts can be burning underneath.
“When we remove the top layer, the oxygen gets to it and it can get going again, so we are stood by damping down until it can be taken away.”
The Environment Agency are investigating the incident and have suspended the waste transfer licence for the premises.
The bill for the fire-fighting operation is expected to run well into six figures.
He said there was no estimated time scale for when the fire would be cleared.
