Rugeley farm blaze: Slitting Mill fire could burn into 2017

The fire at Slitting Mill in Rugeley started on September 5. Now the managing director of Cannock Chase District Council has said he expects it to continue to burn for some time yet.

Tony McGovern said: "The fire is expected to burn for months. The fire service are visiting the site twice a week with thermal monitoring equipment and are monitoring the situation."

MP Amanda Milling said she is still receiving complaints from people living nearby about smoke from the site and the fire needed to be dealt with as soon as possible.

"I have stressed to all agencies involved the need to take robust action to ensure the hazard is cleared as soon as it is safe to do so," she said.

Slitting Mill 1 from Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Se on Vimeo.

"I also want the agencies involved to ensure that they do all they can to ensure that such an event is not allowed to occur again. I will continue to keep a close eye on the situation and push for the robust action that residents rightly demand be taken."

Rugeley Councillor Alan Dudson admitted he was OK with the fire continuing to burn as he thought it was safer than opening it back up again and trying to extinguish it.

He said: "It is not ideal but it is fine as long as it is under control. To open it up again is far more dangerous then just keeping it capped and letting it burn out. Then once it is burnt out it will be up to the relevant authorities to finish their investigations."

It is unknown how the blaze started but some 1,000 tonnes of waste became well alight on September 5 billowing smoke into the air. Residents were advised to shut all doors and windows and people as far south as Cannock were complaining of the smell.

Some 40 litres of foam were used by Staffordshire Fire Service throughout the night in an attempt to tackle the blaze, but they were unable to put it out despite getting it under control. Various other methods have been used to tackle the fire, but none have been successful.