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by Linda McGrory
HOMEOWNERS along the Foyle from Muff to Quigley's
Point were yesterday warned to take cover as thick
black smoke was expected to be carried on the wind
from a major fire at a tyre depot across the lough
in Campsie, Co Derry.
Donegal County Council yesterday received
notification from the Northern Ireland Fire Service
that smoke arising from the overnight fire involving
50,000 old tyres, was predicted to blow over parts
of Inishowen as the wind changed.
"Members of the public in the (Muff to Quigley's
Point area) are advised to take due care especially
those with breathing or chest difficulties and young
children. The public are advised to keep windows and
doors closed until the smoke has dispersed," said
Donegal County Council waste awareness officer
Suzanne Tinney.
The Fire Service in the North is investigating the
possibility that the blaze, involving up to 50,000
tyres on a one-acre site, may have been started
deliberately. The fire broke out at Campsie
Industrial Estate around 10pm on Sunday. People
living in the Campsie and Eglinton areas were urged
to keep windows and doors closed against the smoke.
As the morning progressed, the smoke blew due east
along the Lough Foyle coast and could be seen from
as far away as Moville.
Sixteen fire tenders including 70 personnel from
across Northern Ireland and Donegal battled the
blaze overnight and well into Monday, pouring
thousands of gallons of water on the blaze to
extinguish the flames. The fire was finally brought
under control before lunchtime but it is believed it
will not fully extinguish until later today. The NI
Fire Service will now have to bring in specialist
equipment to quarry through the layers of debris to
find any smouldering material that could reignite.
Police in Derry are appealing to anyone who
witnessed any suspicious activity in the area to
come forward. Local councillor Jim McKeever who is a
member of the Northern Ireland Fire Authority
praised the hard work of all the fire crews who
attended the scene. He said he would be seeking an
examination of the regulations governing the storage
of old tyres and similar waste, to see what kind of
controls and licensing arrangements are in place.
"I will be seeking the advice of our Council
solicitor, engineer and environmental officers to
determine what measures can be put in place to
ensure that these types of compounds are strictly
controlled and closely monitored.
"These fires not only take up a lot of emergency
services resources that could be better used
elsewhere but they also create environmental dangers
and cleanup problems, " said Cllr McKeever. |
