Firefighters battle for over 24 hours to control 4,500 tonnes of burning cars in Belfast shipyard
Firefighters are expected to spend their second night, tonight, battling a blaze in Belfast shipyard involving 4,500 tonnes of scrap cars.
The initial call to the scene on East Twin Road was received at 12.14pm on Wednesday, but firefighters were still tackling the blaze by late this afternoon.
Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service said late on Wednesday night that it was “a well-developed fire” involving the 4,500 tonnes of scrap cars.
The operation to deal with the incident on Queen’s Island involved Belfast Harbour fire tugs as well as an air unit.
Also involved were fire crews from Central, Knock, Cadogan, Westland, Bangor and Glengormley fire stations, supported by an aerial appliance from Springfield fire station, a high-volume pump from Whitla fire station and a command support unit from Lisburn fire station.
At 5:30pm today the Fire Service said crews remain at the scene of the fire.
"Three Fire Appliances are currently in attendance, supported by two High Volume Pumps and a Command Support Unit,” it said.
"Crews are expected to remain at the scene throughout the night.
“We would like to thank our personnel for their hard work and dedication as firefighting operations continue.”
The Fire Service had asked for people to avoid the area and to keep their windows and doors closed throughout the day.
"We would like to thank the public for their patience whilst we deal with this incident,” it said.
Fire and Rescue Service area commander David Harbinson said the operation was “very challenging”.
“We're trying to break up the parts of scrap metal with heavy onsite machinery and firefighters are then using jets, a ground monitor and a high-reach aerial appliance to extinguish the fire,” he told BBC News NI.
He said there had been two high-volume pumps in operation “because we do require an extensive amount of water to deal with this”.
Nearby residents and businesses have been advised to keep their windows and doors closed, while people have been asked to avoid the area.
“If you're driving past in a vehicle maybe turn off your air conditioning,” he added.
“Equally, stay away from the area, allow your fire service to continue with their operations and be patient with us while we deal with this.”
The Viking Sky Cruise ship moved on due to the smoke from the fire.
Belfast Harbour confirmed it departed three hours earlier than planned on Wednesday.
“The decision to depart rested with the captain and cruise operator,” they added.
Mr Harbinson said the cause of the fire was currently under investigation.
“But it is recognised across the UK and wider across the world that lithium-ion batteries are becoming a challenge for the fire sector so we would suspect that,” he added.
On Wednesday, Belfast Harbour Police said it was working closely with fire and rescue service and staff at the facility.
Another fire broke out at the same Clearway Disposals site in May.