Firefighters leave scene of huge landfill blaze after more than two weeks

Firefighters have left the scene of a major landfill blaze after more than two weeks of battling it.

The waste facility in Fife caught fire on Tuesday, May 12 and has been burning ever since, with teams of firefighters sent to dampen the flames.

Residents near the Lower Melville Woods Waste Facility were warned last week of a change in the air quality, with levels of nitrogen oxide, nitrogen dioxide and particulate matter recorded having risen at nearby Cupar.

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) said it stood down from the site after a final assessment on Wednesday, bringing the active firefighting phase to a close.

An investigation into the cause of the fire will now be undertaken by the SFRS, Sepa (Scottish Environment Protection Agency) and Cireco, the company which operates the site.

Fife Council said the investigations are expected to take some time.

The waste facility, including the household recycling centre, will remain closed while recovery and remediation work is carried out. The site will be out of operation for several weeks while this work progresses.

The local authority warned of disruption to some of its services, including bulky uplifts, which have been temporarily suspended, with people advised to rebook appointments from next week onwards.

Cupar Recycling Centre will continue to open seven days a week until Ladybank Recycling Centre reopens.

Firefighters were at the scene for more than two weeks PA Media

Meanwhile, the temporary 30mph speed limit on the A92 will be lifted and the access road will reopen on Thursday.

SFRS area commander Lee Turnock said: “Following extensive operations over two weeks, firefighters have now concluded work at the site and the incident has been brought to a close.

“Throughout this challenging incident, crews worked tirelessly in difficult conditions to contain the fire and ensure public safety.

“People in the surrounding area may still notice some light smoke or smouldering material at the site for a period of time. However, this is expected following an incident of this nature, and there is no cause for alarm.

“I would like to thank our firefighters, Operations Control personnel, partners, and the local community for their continued support, patience and co-operation while this incident was ongoing.”

Chief executive of Cireco Robin Baird said: “While firefighting operations have ended, work to safely manage the site continues. Cireco teams are now leading recovery efforts, including ongoing work to spread, dampen and cool remaining hot material.

The SFRS said people in the surrounding areas may notice light smoke of smouldering material for a short time PA Media

“There may be some residual smoke or steam visible from parts of the site as this process continues.

“This is expected and is being carefully managed. Cireco has robust arrangements in place to manage the site safely, which have been agreed with SFRS.

“Trained staff will be present on site 24 hours a day, seven days a week to monitor conditions and respond quickly to any changes.

“I would like to thank SFRS and all partner agencies for their support in bringing the fire under control, and for the continued co-operation as recovery work moves forward.

“I’d also like to thank the public for bearing with us through this difficult period.”