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Five fire crews tackle blaze at Ellgia waste plant in Prickwillow
Firefighters attended the blaze at the Ellgia waste management and recycling site at Prickwillow. - Credit: Google Maps
Five fire crews have tackled a waste facility blaze near Ely.
Crews from Cambridgeshire and Suffolk attended the fire at the Ellgia waste management and recycling site at Prickwillow, which broke out at around 12.43am today (Tuesday, April 5).
An Ellgia director has said that fires are an "occupational hazard" of the waste business, and that nobody was injured during the blaze.
David Chamberlain, of Ellgia, said: "Unfortunately, fires are an occupational hazard of the waste industry.
"The cause of the blaze is unknown, but it could be something as simple as a battery put into the wrong waste stream.
"We say it a lot, but it's crucial that you separate your rubbish - whether that's household or trade waste.
"By preventing the wrong sorts of waste from mixing, we can prevent fires like this from taking place."
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David praised the response from fire crews, who travelled to the blaze from Ely, Littleport, Mildenhall and Newmarket.
He said: "Our systems worked properly and alerted the fire service to the blaze in good time.
"The crews managed to contain the fire and damage very very quickly, although it took some time for the fire to become fully extinguished.
"The help which they have provided throughout today has been great.
"We also have a great team at Ellgia who have been on the site to make things safe and assess the damage.
"We have a site which is set back from residential buildings."
David said that Ellgia can continue to run "business as usual", but must divert waste into one of its other plants in the region for the time being.
He added that the company has told the Environment Agency about the fire, but that no environmental damage is thought to have occurred.
During the blaze, firefighters urged the public to avoid the Prickwillow and Ely Road areas.
A Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson said: "Firefighters arrived to find a well-developed fire in a steel-framed building containing recycled household waste.
"They have worked hard throughout the night to contain the fire and prevent it from spreading."
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