Birmingham fire: Inferno guts scrap metal yard near Adderley Park railway station

Firefighters are battling an enormous fire at a scrap metal yard in Birmingham. West Midlands Fire Service was called to an industrial unit on Clarel Avenue shortly after 2pm on Tuesday (29 March) as flames consumed stacked recycling there. One hundred firefighters are attempting to quell the fire and there are 17 engines at the site.

Acrid smoke can be seen billowing into the air miles from the scene of the blaze and nearby residents have been told to keep their windows shut. There is also the fear that approximately 60,000 homes could be left without power as cables are perilously close to the flames.

More than 100 999 calls have been made to the fire brigade and such is the size of the plume of black smoke the service has liaised with Birmingham Airport to inform them of about it. No flights have been affected by the fire.

A spokesman from West Midlands Fire Service said: "We received a 999 call at about 2.08pm and sent six fire crews and an aerial platform to the site of an industrial unit. Smoke is affecting the railway line so we have informed Network Rail."