Flames engulf Thorpe 'illegal rubbish dump'

Residents of a Selby area village have been told to keep their windows closed tonight after tonnes of illegally dumped rubbish was engulfed by fire.

The blaze broke out on the site of the former Middlebrook Mushroom site off Gateforth New Road, Thorpe Willoughby, during Sunday afternoon. Firefighters are on the scene, but are allowing the fire to burn under supervision.

Representatives from Selby Council's Environmental Health, the Environment Agency and Public Health England have been made aware of the incident and are monitoring the situation. It is currently expected that the incident will be scaled down considerably during the next 48 hours.

Due to the nature of the incident a strong smell of smoke may be experienced by nearby householders and as a precautionary measure Public Health England has provided the following statement, “Residents in areas directly affected by smoke should stay indoors if possible and keep their windows and doors closed. Any smoke can be an irritant so if people need to be outdoors, they are advised to avoid areas affected by the smoke, or to limit the time they spend outside. Smoke can also worsen existing respiratory problems so people with asthma should carry their inhaler. As always, if anyone has any health concerns they should seek medical advice or call NHS 111”.

Fire in Thorpe Willoughby Police and Fire aware precautionary advice to close windows and doors should smoke enter surrounding villages.

— PCSO Laura Simpson (@PCSO3515) September 11, 2016

A fire service spokesperson said, “This is a relatively small incident that by its very nature produces significant amounts of smoke in the initial stages, as fire loading decreases however the smoke will lessen and that is the reason we are dealing with the incident in this manner”.{module twitquote}