Firefighters were continuing to damp down at a Black Country battery recycling plant today following a huge blaze which tore through the premises and sparked explosions.
More than 45 firefighters remained at G&P Batteries Ltd overnight in Willenhall, but fire service bosses said it was still unsafe for crews to enter the building after part of the warehouse collapsed. A mini helicopter with thermal imaging cameras was used to take aerial pictures of the burnt out plant yesterday afternoon to check the progress of the fire.
West Midlands Fire Service spokesman Mike Fox said: “We are due to have a meeting with the owners of the site and environmentalists to ascertain what needs to be done at this point.
“Dampening down has been continuing at the site overnight. Crews have been unable to enter the building because it’s unsafe.
“Yesterday we used a microdrone, a mini helicopter, to take an overhead look at the site. It can provide live video streaming and thermal imaging.”
Up to 15 tonnes of lithium batteries and cylinders exploded at the Crescent Works Industrial Unit in Willenhall Road.
Police set up a 200ft cordon in the vicinity and Willenhall Road along with surrounding roads such as Bentley Road South and The Crescent were closed to traffic following Tuesday night’s blaze.
Early indications are that the fire was accidental but further investigations are under way to find the cause.
Hundreds of residents gathered on the surrounding streets to watch the blaze which was fought by up to 80 fire firefighters at its height. Thick acrid black smoke and 100ft flames could be seen as far away as Walsall town centre and explosions from the batteries and cylinders could be heard for miles round.
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