Big blaze at industrial estate
Fire crews were called to a huge blaze at a Telford industrial estate that sent thick smoke pouring over the town. Thick black smoke billowed across Telford as more than 60 tonnes of insulation material went up in flames. Shropshire Fire & Rescue Service was inundated by calls as people spotted the smoke coming from Borgers in Hortonwood shortly after lunchtime yesterday. Police sealed off roads as 40 firefighters were drafted in to tackle the incident. Firefighters from nearby MoD Donnington also attended to offer help, while many emergency callers thought it was the base itself which was alight. One eyewitness, who declined to be named, said: "I was in the area near Borgers and got turned away from the scene by police. "There were big clouds of thick black smoke. "It was very alarming." Fire investigators were today examining CCTV footage from the plant in an effort to determine the cause of the blaze. Watch our video from the scene of the Borgers fire here See our photos from the Borgers fire here and read the full story in today's Shropshire Star
Thick black smoke billowed across Telford as more than 60 tonnes of insulation material went up in flames.
Shropshire Fire & Rescue Service was inundated by calls as people spotted the smoke coming from Borgers in Hortonwood shortly after lunchtime yesterday.
Watch our video from the scene of the Borgers fire here
See our photos from the Borgers fire here
Police sealed off roads as 40 firefighters were drafted in to tackle the incident.
Firefighters from nearby MoD Donnington also attended to offer help, while many emergency callers thought it was the base itself which was alight. One eyewitness, who declined to be named, said: "I was in the area near Borgers and got turned away from the scene by police.
"There were big clouds of thick black smoke. "It was very alarming."
Fire investigators were today examining CCTV footage from the plant in an effort to determine the cause of the blaze.
Only four workers were in the plant at the time, carrying out routine maintenance, and they raised the alarm shortly before 1pm at the family-owned German company, which manufactures sound insulation for the automotive industry.Incident commander Rob Corfield, from Shropshire Fire & Rescue Service, said a stack of insulation bales had gone up in flames and had been burning for about 30 minutes when crews arrived.
He said: "The fire was impinging on the building. Our priority was to protect the main building which the firefighters did very well.
"The amount of damage to the actual factory unit is very slight.
"There were cylinders there, but they were protected early on. Everything was protected."
Joe Eggerton, Borgers's senior production and logistics manager, said today about 60 to 80 tonnes of insulation material had been destroyed in the blaze, but the factory was operating as usual as normal today.
He said: "We are not operational on a Sunday during the day, but there were four people on site at the time and they raised the alarm.
"We were operating again at 10pm yesterday as usual and the fire has not affected the plant in any way, other than a big clean-up operation which is under way today."
Mr Eggerton declined to say the estimated cost of the destroyed material.
The fire is not thought to be suspicious.
Mr Corfield said the cause was now being looked into by fire investigation officers working with the factory owners, with CCTV footage from the area being examined as part of the inquiry.
Photo: Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service.
By Simon Hardy
