Firefighters have stood down a major incident at a Bury landfill site after 36 hours on the scene.
Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) was called out to deal with a major fire at the Pilsworth South landfill site shortly after midnight on Monday morning (April 26).
The fire service declared it a major incident by 5.40am and worked day and night to tackle any fire hotspots - battling fire on an area of waste around the size of a football pitch.
Four fire engines remain at the scene but road closures are being reduced, with GMFRS also lifting the advice for residents to keep their doors and windows closed.
Val Hussain, group manager in charge at the scene for GMFRS, said: “I’m pleased to say that our firefighters’ hard work throughout the night has allowed us to contain this fire and scale back the major incident declared yesterday.
“This fire came at the end of a challenging weekend that saw our crews tackle a number of significant incidents across the city-region and assist colleagues in West Yorkshire with a large moorland fire.
“I cannot fault the professionalism of our firefighters, who have responded to all of these incidents quickly and effectively.
"As a result of that work we have been able to decrease our presence at the site and continue to work hard to bring this to a resolution as soon as possible."
GMFRS says that Viridor, which owns the site, has made arrangements for a helicopter to be deployed to drop water on the fire - with crews providing tactical support to the operation.
The large smoke plume caused by the fire has been contained to the site, although it may continue to smoulder for some time.
Mr Hussain added: “I also want to thank local residents for their understanding and cooperation over the course of the last 24 hours.
"We expect road closures around Pilsworth Road to be reduced by noon, but crews will remain in attendance at the site throughout the day to damp down any remaining pockets of fire.”
GMFRS crews have been supported at the scene by colleagues from Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service, who provided a specialist appliance to assist with the operation, and The Salvation Army.
