Recovery operation starts after Nantycaws recycling centre fire

An investigation into the cause of the fire at the Nantycaws recycling centre is underway and a recovery operation has started says Cwm Environmental Ltd who operate the site for Carmarthenshire Council.

It comes after a significant fire started at the site on the A48 near Carmarthen on Saturday (24 April) just before 3.30pm. Large plumes of black smoke were seen for miles at the time, with up to 8 fire appliances in attendance.

Sean Gallagher, the Managing Director of Cwm Environmental said the fire service arrived quickly and the fire was contained to the blue bag Materials Recovery Facility.

Mr Gallagher said: “Thankfully the shift had already finished, and no-one was injured. We can confirm that our fire plan was carried out successfully.

“The fire service remains at the scene as we start our recovery operation. The priority is to make the area safe so that we can start to remove the contents from the building.

“We are working closely with the fire service and an investigation into the cause of the fire is underway.

“We are also working closely with Natural Resources Wales regarding the management of the site and I can confirm all necessary arrangements and measures are in place in relation to any environmental concerns. All surface water run-off from the fire is being captured by an existing on-site lagoon system.  There are no specific concerns regarding any potential environmental impact, however, we will continue to monitor the situation along with partner agencies.

“The recycling centre itself, the food waste facility, garden waste facility and black bag facility were unaffected by the fire, however, access to the entire site is currently restricted.

“This means the recycling centre remains closed until further notice for public safety reasons. We are working to open the recycling centre as soon as practically possible, however in the meantime, anyone with appointments booked in for this week can visit one of the other recycling centres at Trostre (Llanelli), Wernddu (Ammanford) or Whitland if they wish at any time between 8.30am and 5.30pm, taking their confirmation email with them.

“We are working closely with Carmarthenshire County Council and have contingency plans in place to ensure household waste collections can continue as normal.

“I would like to personally thank Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service who continue to work on site, and our partner agencies for all their help and co-operation. I would also like to thank all our staff for their hard work in helping to put temporary arrangements in place to continue operations.”

(Lead image: Natural Resources Wales)