Fire crews battle through the night to bring blaze inside a wood chips mountain under control

Measuring 15ft high and covering two football pitches in area, the chippings at Boden’s on Lower Green Road, Astley, are intended as fuel for a power station.

But they first burst into flames last week and although they have been dampened down, they have reignited several times, and firefighters have kept returning to conduct inspections.

The latest flare-up began at 8pm on Sunday December 11 and through the night crews from Atherton. Eccles, Stretford and Bolton attended.

A spokeperson for the Atherton crew said: “The fire seems to have started due to heat generated by the decomposition process. It’s not deliberate ignition.

"And because the fire originates deep down in this massive pile, there’s no point pouring water over the top of it.

"We have to shove branch hoses into the ground to get at the seat of the fire.

"We have been told that the wood chips are going to be moved tomorrow so that should put an end to the problem.”