A CHARITY is counting the cost of one of the biggest fires in Huddersfield in years.
Oxfam’s Wastesaver plant was ripped apart by a fierce blaze and a series of explosions on Saturday evening.
More than 70 firefighters from across every part of West Yorkshire fought the inferno for many hours but were unable to save the Beck Road premises.
The centre employs 70 people and there were fears last night for their jobs.
Many turned up to see the fire and were in tears.
It took crews eight hours to get the fire under control and firefighters remained at the scene throughout yesterday.
The centre takes in old clothing from across the UK and recycles it.
It is thought the fire was fuelled by stacks of baled clothing inside the warehouse, which was totally engulfed in flames.
The blaze also sent a huge pall of thick, acrid black smoke pouring into the sky high above the town centre.
It could be seen for miles.
Police shut many roads around the industrial estate, which brought traffic chaos, and also toured the area warning residents to close their window.
The fire started shortly after 6pm on Saturday.
The first fire crews were confronted by flames shooting through the roof of one of the three warehouse units that make up the centre when it was rocked by an explosion.
That sent flames shooting higher into the sky and within minutes, the building was engulfed in an inferno.
More fire crews were called to the scene and police began sealing off roads as the smoke soared into the air.
Staff working at nearby retail units told how the drama unfolded.
Gareth Franks, manager at the Matalan store 100 yards from the warehouse, told how they felt the force of the blast – thought to have been caused by gas cylinders used in forklift trucks inside the recycling centre.
“Some of the staff were in our warehouse when there was an enormous bang,” he said.
“The whole building shook and the doors buckled as if something had hit them.
“Fire and police officers came over and asked us to evacuate, so we got the shoppers and staff out”.
Another worker said: “The explosion was huge and then there were a series of smaller explosions.
“We could see flames shooting out of the roof of the warehouse and the smoke was black and thick”.
Another eye witness was Neil Marsay, who was on his way home with his son Niall.
He said: “We stopped having seen the smoke across the road in Birkby. The fire service were at the warehouse pointing water jets on to the roof of the building.
“As the scene unfolded a young PSCO officer made valiant attempts to ensure the safety of the public, who were unaware of the imminent danger.
“After a loud explosion was heard and the fire crews quickly moved their vehicles which were at risk of being caught in the blaze.
“They rapidly turned their attention to saving neighbouring buildings from the heat of the blaze”.
Police sealed off many roads including St John’s Road, Bradford Road, Willow Lane and Beck Lane.
Dozens of officers were called to throw the cordon around the area and to keep back hundreds of sightseers who gathered to watch the drama.
Insp Diane Booth, of West Yorkshire Police, said: “There was a need to keep a large area clear because of the number of fire appliances and fire crews who were involved in tackling the blaze.
“There was no indication of anyone being in the warehouse at the time the fire started and no-one was hurt.
“The smoke was very thick and acrid with a nasty taste but it was not toxic and we toured the area making PA announcements to make sure people kept their doors and windows closed”.
Ambulance crews were called to the scene as a precaution as fire crews worked close to the centre of the warehouse.
Police officers on cordon duty wore face masks to protect them from breathing in the choking smoke.
The huge firefighting operation saw crews from many stations including Huddersfield, Dewsbury, Morley, Stanningley, Cleckheaton, Bingley, Pontefract, Cottingley, Keighley and Meltham.
They fought the blaze from both Beck Lane and St John’s Road and used two specialist hydraulic platforms to tackle the flames from above.
The crews used special hose-laying equipment to ferry water to the blazing warehouse from more than a mile away in Hillhouse Lane.
A structural engineer was called in to assess the damaged building at one point as it was feared it was about to collapse.
By daylight yesterday, the fire was still smouldering and the extent of the damage was clearly visible.
Fire investigation officers and police are conducting an inquiry into the cause of the blaze.
The Oxfam centre was closed on Friday and Saturday and there are inquiries to see if someone had broken into the building.
