Emergency services remain on scene at a major fire at a business premises on Water Street in Port Talbot, with local schools keeping pupils and staff indoors as a precaution while smoke continues to drift across the town.
Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service and Public Health Wales are advising local residents and businesses to keep windows and doors closed while smoke is present, opening them again once conditions improve. Anyone who feels unwell is advised to seek appropriate medical advice.
Schools in the area have been told to remain open but to keep pupils and staff inside as a precautionary measure while smoke remains present. Parents are advised to follow guidance from their children’s schools directly.
Road closures remain in place around the site. The A4242 Afan Way dual carriageway is closed between the McDonald’s roundabout and Talbot Block roundabout. Afan Way and Water Street are also closed for westbound traffic at the McDonald’s entrance, although access is being maintained as necessary into Green Park Street.
Neath Port Talbot Council said its JCB operatives had been on site assisting fire crews in responding to the incident. Rest centre facilities have been placed on standby, and the council said transport arrangements would be put in place for any residents requiring them should a rest centre need to be opened.
The fire broke out at the Water Street commercial site, where around 200 tonnes of commercial waste had been stored. At its height the incident required the attendance of eight fire stations from both Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service and South Wales Fire and Rescue Service, with crews working to contain the blaze and prevent it spreading to neighbouring properties.
Dramatic aerial images published earlier today showed the scale of the fire from inside the site, with smoke still rising from the collapsed industrial building beside the canal that runs through the area.
Drone footage released by the council shows the extent of the destruction at the Water Street site, with the surrounding residential streets and the wider Port Talbot skyline visible beyond the smoke plume.
Residents in the immediate vicinity of Water Street and the wider Afan Way area are asked to continue monitoring the situation and to follow the latest guidance from emergency services and the council.
Neath Port Talbot Council said it would keep residents informed as the situation develops, and is coordinating with fire and police services on traffic management and welfare arrangements for anyone affected by the incident.
Anyone with concerns about the smoke or their health should contact NHS 111 for advice, or call 999 in an emergency.
