Locals urged to keep doors and windows closed amid huge blaze at recycling plant

Published 03/09/2022 · Updated 07/09/2022

Residents in a borough of Manchester are being urged to keep windows and doors as a huge fire rages at a recycling centre. Greater Manchester Fire & Rescue Service (GMFRS) responded to reports of a fire at the industrial premises on North End Road in Stalybridge early this morning. Pictures from the scene showed firefighters at the scene tackling a significant fire, with a thick plume of black smoke rising into the air.

GMFRS tweeted: “Firefighters are currently dealing with a fire at a recycling centre on North End Road, Stalybridge.

Firefighters remained at the scene this afternoon, working to get the blaze under control (Vincent Cole/MEN MEDIA)

“A large amount of smoke is coming from the fire and we are advising people in the area to be cautious and keep windows and doors closed.” A spokeswoman from the Greater Manchester Police said: “At around 8:30am this morning, police received reports of a fire on North End Road in Stalybridge. “No injuries reported and no assistance from police was required.”

The fire was still alight shortly after 2.30pm (Vincent Cole/MEN MEDIA)

Firefighters remained at the scene this afternoon, working to get the blaze under control.

Some firefighters had been withdrawn from the scene, but the fire was still alight shortly after 2.30pm. One resident of Staly Hall Road whose house overlooks the recycling centre fire told The Manchester Evening News it hadn’t bothered him too much.

A local resident praised the quick actions of the firefighters (Vincent Cole/MEN MEDIA)

He said: “We kept our doors and windows shut but luckily the wind was blowing in the other direction and it has been kept contained to the valley. Another local resident praised the quick actions of the firefighters saying: “It soon went from thick, black smoke and crackling fire to white.”

Dramatic footage from the scene showed huge plumes of dark grey smoke billowing up into the sky from the recycling plant.

Emergency services at the scene of a blaze at Northend Road in Stalybridge (Vincent Cole/MEN MEDIA)