Climping fire to 'burn under control' to limit pollution

A large building full of recycling and plant machinery "was fully involved in the fire" which broke out on Friday morning

A major fire at a waste services site in Climping will be allowed to continue to "burn under control" to avoid pollution to the local environment.

Residents near the site are being urged to keep their windows and doors closed three days after the fire started in a large building full of recycling and plant machinery.

The fire service said in a post on X (formerly Twitter) there is still a lot of smoke in the area.

West Sussex County Council issued an advisory late on Monday saying that a decision had been taken by the fire service and the Environment Agency to allow the fire to continue to burn rather than using "copious amounts of water".

The council - which described the incident as "complex and protracted" - said the move was to "ensure the fire is extinguished safely while mitigating the impact on the surrounding environment".

It said: "Limited amounts of water will continue to be applied to target the hotspots.

"Consideration to the water run-off is key to the decision making between the respective agencies as the water run-off may cause extensive pollution to the surrounding environment and nearby water courses.

"The situation will continue to be monitored over the coming days."

The fire broke out just before 10:20 BST on Friday, when "multiple 999 calls" were received by West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service.

Eight fire engines, two water carriers and two aerial ladders attended the scene.

The nearby A259 was closed during the fire, with buses diverted during the closure.