Strong partnership response keeps fire under control in Bickershaw

The organisations say that thanks to a swift and co-ordinated response, agencies have managed to keep the fire, which broke out on private land on Tuesday July 1, under control.

A water plan from United Utilities is now in place, which means earlier today (Friday July 4) the fire service was able to establish a fire break to allow a more aggressive response to tackling the fire.

They have also supported in ensuring the water tankers remain on site over the weekend to tackle the blaze.

The water company has also provided bottled water to customers registered on the priority service scheme and will continue to support residents into the weekend. United Utilities asks that any customers who might have questions about their water supply, or may have additional support needs around water to contact the dedicated customer service team on 0345 672 3723 or online at www.unitedutilities.com

Wigan Council has helped by providing additional water tankers and equipment, including cranes and diggers, managing traffic flows and visiting nearby residents to offer support.

Residents were invited to access washing facilities at council-owned leisure centres, and a 24/7 emergency helpline was set up.

Firefighters initially had trouble accessing the site because a vandalised digger had been left blocking the entrance.

Coun Kevin Anderson, cabinet member for police, crime and civil contingencies at Wigan Council, said: “I’d like to thank our teams who have worked around the clock all week to support the fire service respond effectively to this incident.

"Our teams have maintained a visible presence in surrounding neighbourhoods, delivering leaflets, door-knocking residents, and providing additional support to vulnerable residents.

“I’d also like to extend my gratitude to local residents, businesses and community groups for their patience and cooperation.”

Phil Sweeney, UU Central Operations Director, said: “We are currently supporting Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service and Wigan Council in tackling a large waste fire in the Bolton House Road area of Bickershaw.

“United Utilities has provided additional water tankers to support the operation, which help by drawing water from the network to feed into the fire pumps to extinguish the flames.

“We can assure our customers that while they may be experiencing lower than normal water pressure, that this is a temporary measure and we are redirecting water supply through our vast network to help support both demand, and the firefighting operation.

“While no customers have been without a water supply to their homes, we have proactively delivered bottled water to those residents who are registered on our priority services list. Wigan Council has provided bottled water to properties in the area as a temporary measure.

“We’d like to take this opportunity to thank our partners for their efforts, and the local community for their resilience and understanding while we work together to manage the incident and keep people safe.”

Teams will continue to respond over the weekend.

A fire service source told Wigan Today that with tens of thousands of tons of waste on the site, it was anyone’s guess how long the blaze would continue with digging out the waste as the ultimate solution.