Drivers Warned After Major Smoke Alert

Date published: 08/08/2005

Drivers were advised to take extra care when driving in the area of Roch Valley Way, Bolton Road and Manchester Road, after a major fire caused a large amount of smoke throughout that part of town on Monday 8 August.

It is believed that a quantity of waste recylcled plastic material in a storage area at the end of the far end of Corporation Road caught fire, which then caused the excessive smoke.

There were no road closures and no evacuations took place. However, as a precaution, local residents were advised to keep doors and windows shut until the smoke cleared.

Fire crews attended for damping down. The cause of the fire is still being investigated.

Ian Bailey from the Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service said: “The danger lay in low lying areas such as Roch Valley Way and Sparth Bottoms Road, as the visibility on the roads had decreased from 5-10%, so people were warned to drive carefully. Local residents with asthma or breathing difficulties were warned by the fire service to stay indoors."

Officers remained on the scene throughout the day as much of the material remained smouldering.