Rubbish fire in Wolverhampton brings city centre street to standstill as fire crews tackle blaze
A Wolverhampton street was brought to a standstill as firefighters tackled a rubbish fire inside an alleyway, the second rubbish fire to happen in the city centre in a week.
West Midlands Fire Service crews were called to reports of the fire on Princes Square, just off Broad Street, at around 4.40am today (July 28), with crews from Walsall, Bilston and Wolverhampton fire stations attending the scene.
They discovered a rubbish fire which had spread to a ground-floor outbuilding, with surrounding buildings affected by the smoke, and evacuated neighbouring properties while crews tackled the blaze with hose reel jets.
The area around Broad Street was still cordoned off hours later from the Princes Square roundabout to Thornley Street, with fire crews and a car from West Midlands Police remaining at the scene.
One resident, who asked not to be named, said the fire service had been very quick to respond to the fire, but he was left wondering about when he was going to be able to get home.
He said: "I'm feeling a bit lost at the moment as I've got nowhere to go and can't get into my home at the moment, so I need to ask the fire service if I have to find alternative accommodation for tonight as I don't know if I'm allowed back in.
"The fire service were very good as they go in and made sure that everyone got out, including a flat with two children in it, so they've done a good job, but we're left wondering what we're going to do next."
A spokesman for West Midlands Fire Service said: "At around 4.40am on Monday, July 28, we responded to an incident on Princes Square in Wolverhampton.
"Three fire engines responded, crewed by firefighters from Walsall, Bilston, and Wolverhampton fire stations.
"This involved a rubbish fire that had spread to a ground-floor outbuilding. Surrounding buildings were affected by the smoke.
"A total of six firefighters wearing breathing apparatus tackled the fire with hose reel jets.
"Crews evacuated and searched neighbouring properties and shops due to smoke logging, ensuring there was no-one trapped.
"The incident is ongoing."
It comes less than a week after thick plumes of smoke could be seen over Wolverhampton city centre after a fire broke out in a car park in the Beatties building.
The fire on Tuesday, July 22 broke out at about 4.50pm at the building on the corner of Skinner Street and School Street and saw extensive smoke logging across the ground and first floors of the car park, with crews from five fire stations tackling the fire.
A spokesman for the West Midlands Fire Service said: "Shortly after 4.50pm on Tuesday, July 22, we responded to a fire in a void building on Skinner Street, Wolverhampton.
"Four fire engines, two 4x4 brigade response vehicles and a hydraulic aerial platform attended, crewed by firefighters from Wolverhampton, Fallings Park, Walsall, Tettenhall and Bilston stations.
"The fire, involving the ground and first floors, was extinguished by firefighters wearing breathing apparatus. It caused extensive smoke logging.
"A thorough search of the building confirmed everyone was accounted for. There were no casualties.
"All resources had left this incident by 7pm."
No cause has yet been determined for the Beatties fire.
