Rubbish fire at landfill
Peter Johnson
Three fire engines were attending a rubbish fire in the landfill at the Gremista waste management plant today.
Staff at the plant noticed smoke coming from the tip when they turned up for work this morning and called the fire brigade. Two fire engines attended with the Scalloway fire brigade providing cover for Lerwick.
As the landfill continued to smoulder the Scalloway appliance joined in the attempt to put out the fire and the Sandwick appliance headed north to provide cover for the town. Smoke and the stench of burning was apparent at least a mile from the dump.
This afternoon three hose reel jets and four sets of breathing apparatus were deployed as two diggers pitched in to try and uncover the source of the fire that may have been fanned by the shift of wind to the north. Fire sometimes breaks out spontaneously in landfills as the pressure of rubbish raises the temperature to ignition point.
