26/09/05 Homes near wood blaze evacuated

Fire crews have returned to the blaze every day since Sunday
People living near a firm where tonnes of scrap wood have been burning for six days have been evacuated from their homes due to the smoke.

One person living near the blaze at Griffiths Pallets, at Hendy in Swansea, has been taken to hospital.

Mid and Wales Fire Service said five fire crews were at the scene on Friday night, where about 130 tonnes of wood were ablaze.

Firefighters have been tackling the blaze since Sunday morning.

Late on Friday, Carmarthenshire County Council described the alert as "a major fire" that it was "likely to burn for three or four days".

The fire service said its crews had been back to the scene every day since Sunday, as the blaze had become deep-seated and worked its way underground.

The firm recycles scrap wood into wood chippings. A spokesman said the woodpile was comprised mostly of pallets. He said the wood had spontaneously combusted.

"That's what we think it is, there's no foul play. It's come from underneath," he said.

One resident, who lives about 100 yards away, said the smoke had been giving her a sore throat and was making her house "stink".

The county council said people should stay out of the wood smoke, stay indoors and try to reduce their exposure by closing doors and windows.

'Foul-smelling wood'

Buses were brought in on Friday night to take people to a nearby residential home.

People in the area suffering from respiratory problems were advised to contact their GP or if more urgent to attend casualty.

A woman who lives 500m from the site said smoke had been drifting in her direction for most of the day.

She said: "It's foul-smelling wood. They have an enormous mound (of wood). It seems that the seat of the fire has started internally and to get at it is extremely difficult.

"In the daytime it's absolutely dreadful. We can see (the smoke) wafting over all the time. At one stage the road (by the firm) was closed."

"I'm quite annoyed for the people who live quite close."