Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service has released dramatic new images showing the scale of the operation at the Water Street industrial fire in Port Talbot – with crews continuing to damp down the site after what became one of the largest fire incidents in the region in recent years.
The fire broke out at the commercial waste site on Wednesday 30 April and required eight fire stations from both Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service and South Wales Fire and Rescue Service at its height. Drone footage and ground-level images released by the service show the full extent of the destruction, with the site completely razed across a vast footprint alongside the River Afan.
Crews worked through the night and into the following days to damp down the smouldering waste, with council JCB crews assisting on site. Natural Resources Wales confirmed no pollution entered the River Afan from firefighting run-off – a significant reassurance for the local environment.
Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service has confirmed the incident has now entered a controlled phase, with crews set to remain on scene for the foreseeable future to continue damping down and managing any remaining hotspots. Materials will be moved on-site by the fire service and the site operator to facilitate this process.
The service has warned that occasional increases in smoke or very small flare-ups may occur as crews carefully extinguish remaining material, and that current weather conditions may cause smoke to linger longer than usual before dispersing. “These changes do not indicate a deterioration of the incident but reflect steady progress in the final stages of bringing the incident to a conclusion,” a spokesperson said.
Natural Resources Wales has confirmed that air quality monitoring deployed overnight and continuing today has found particulate concentrations at “moderate” levels — below the threshold where the general population would be expected to experience health effects if exposed for 24 hours.
NRW waste regulation officers have returned to the site today, working closely with Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service as the incident moves into the recovery phase. Materials will continue to be moved on-site to extinguish remaining hotspots, and NRW has warned that occasional increases in smoke or small flare-ups may occur as work progresses.
Partner agencies have advised that while adverse long-term health effects cannot be completely ruled out, the risk is considered very low. The advice remains for residents and businesses to keep windows and doors closed while smoke is present, reopening them once it has cleared. Anyone feeling unwell should seek appropriate medical advice.
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