Up to 80 firefighters and crews from across the Scottish region of Renfrewshire were called to WRC Recycling’s yard in Strathclyde on Monday (21 January) evening, after a fire broke out at the waste plastics yard at around 6pm.

First to arrive at the industrial site on Johnstone’s Floors Street was an appliance from the Johnstone Community Fire Station followed by appliances from the Paisley and Renfrew Community Fire station. Two aerial rescue pumps were used to drench the flames across the 50 x 40 metre site.

Strathclyde’s Fire & Rescue’s Major Incident Command Unit was called out and was supported by additional crews from Glasgow, Dunbartonshire, Lanarkshire and Ayrshire to calm the fire and prevent it from spreading.

Firefighters worked to prevent nearby houses catching alight, and residents from four homes were evacuated by the police.

A statement from Strathclyde Fire & Rescue read: ‘At the height of the fire 12 appliances were involved in efforts to control the flames, and it was not until nearly 3am that Fire Service activity could be scaled down. Firefighters continued dampening down operations with relief crews taking over at 8.30 am [yesterday] (22 January).’

Nearby transport services were affected by the scale of the fire. Network Rail halted trains on the Glasgow to Ayr railway line and air traffic control officers were instructed to inform pilots flying in and out of Glasgow International Airport about the incident.

Strathclyde Police and Strathclyde Fire & Rescue will now be conducting an investigation into the causes of the fire.

Fires at recycling sites are quite common and can be long lasting due to the large volume and combustible nature of the materials being processed.