Smoke billows in scrapyard fire
Thick black plumes of smoke could be seen for miles as a huge blaze ripped through a Black Country scrapyard.
Flames reached up to 40ft as more than 50 firefighters battled the fire at All Metal Recovery in Smethwick last night.
The fire service was inundated with calls from the public who could see clouds of smoke billowing from the scrapyard in Anne Road, where a mountain of cars went up in flames. The large plume of smoke was visible from the M5 and M6 motorways.
Water was pumped from nearby canals to quell the blaze and people living nearby were advised to close their doors and windows to protect themselves from the acrid fumes.
Roads surrounding the scrapyard were closed by police while firefighters tried to bring the blaze under control.
Divisional Officer Phil James, of West Midlands Fire Service, said firefighters were called out at 7.20pm.
He said six fire appliances were initially sent out but crews called for extra back-up when they realised the severity of the incident. A total of 10 appliances from across the Black Country attended the fire.
"The fire was visible from the motorways, because it is a clear night people could see it for miles," he said. "We had calls from all over the region."
He added: "We told people to keep their windows and doors closed because this is not the kind of smoke you want in your house."
The cause of the fire is not yet known but it is thought one of the car crushers could have sparked the blaze. Mr James said teams would be called in to investigate the blaze.
