Major fire reported at recycling centre on outskirts of Milton Keynes

A major fire has been reported at a recycling centre on the outskirts of Milton Keynes.

Buckinghamshire Fire and Rescue said that six fire engines and crews from Milton Keynes and Bedfordshire, as well as a Turntable ladder and crew, and four officers, were summoned to deal with a fire that broke out single-storey recycling unit in Newton Leys, Bletchley.

Fire was first reported at around 1am this morning (17/03), with a large volume of smoke visible in the surrounding areas.

The incident response started to be scaled back around 10:30am, though firefighters remained on site to dampen down any residual flames and to check for hotspots using the thermal imaging camera.

The building is around 80 per cent damaged by fire and 100 per cent damaged by smoke.

Advice issued by the fire department to local residents is to keep doors and windows closed and be prepared for the potential of disruption and smoke affecting visibility on local roads, while the emergency services are working at the scene.

The fire did have the effect of closing a nearby school. Bishop Parker Catholic School and Nursery opted to close today, saying they did so for the safety of the children who attend the site.