Huge blaze at Plymouth tyre business

Residents have been advised to stay in their homes after a huge blaze at a tyre warehouse in Plymouth.

Fire crews were called to the fire at Malvern Tyres, Richmond Walk, Mount Wise just after 4.30 this morning (Saturday 21 March).

Six fire appliances from Greenbank, Camels Head, Plymstock, Crownhill and Plympton, together with an Aerial Ladder Platform from Crownhill, an Incident Command Unit from Totnes and Environmental Protection Unit from Newton Abbot were called to Malvern Tyres, Richmond Walk, Mount Wise, following numerous calls from members of the public .

The initial call was reporting a wheelie bin on fire, outside the premises, with tyres stacked up alongside it. However, whilst on this call the member of public confirmed it had then spread to the property itself.

Two fire appliances were mobilised initially but, due to rapid fire spread, the attendance was quickly increased shortly after our initial attendance.

Update 06:31hrs - Crews are currently at work with 3 hose reel jets (using compressed air foam), 1 aerial monitor and small tools. The building is well alight and crews have confirmed partial collapse of the tyre warehouse. The incident has been sectorised to assist with firefighting, minor Asbestos involvement has been confirmed and Police are also in attendance.

07:07 - One tyre warehouse has been severely damaged by fire causing the roof and walls to collapse crews have used 4 Breathing Apparatus, 6 jets, 1 aerial monitor using Compressed Air Foam. Decontamination was being carried out for crews following asbestos minor and the Environment Agency has . Western Power were also in attendance to isolate the electricity. The incident is shortly going to be scaled down. A structural building surveyor was also requested to attend.

11:26 Three appliances and the Aerial Platform are still in attendance at the incident. Compressed Air Foam (CAFS) is in use maintaining a foam blanket on small pockets of fire.

Crews are damping down using CAFS jet and good progress is being made. The site has been made safe and crews will be handing incident over to the Police.

Picture via @barkerbirch1 on twiiter