Wolverhampton manufacturer badly damaged by severe fire

A WOLVERHAMPTON plastic products manufacturer has been severely damaged in a major fire at its premises.

Firefighters from across the Black Country were called to the Clearwater Industrial Estate, Ettingshall Road, on Tuesday night after flames were seen coming from warehouse units at the back of the premises.

The fire spread to four units in a compact warehouse block and at the height of the blaze, 70 firefighters were dealing with the incident, with 12 fire engines and two hydraulic platforms being used to quell the flames.

Residents living nearby were told to keep their windows closed over concerns about asbestos dust being blown around as a result of the fire.

The fire was eventually brought under control early yesterday but firemen maintained a presence at the site throughout the day to damp down the debris.

Special clean-up crews wearing hazmat suits were also drafted in to try and clear up any of the asbestos dust – an operation which included using a special vacuum cleaner to suck up any suspicious material.

Unit occupiers were allowed into the units later in the day to begin the clear up process and assess the damage.

One of the businesses, ASH Plastics, makes plastic shopfitting and point of sale products for the retail sector and counts many high street brands including Tesco, Claire’s Accessories, F Hinds, H Samuel and Smiggle as well as British Airways and Red Bull Racing amongst its clients.

It is thought the units were storing highly combustible products including plastics and paper which helped to fuel the fire.

The building has sustained severe damage but the full extent cannot be assessed until West Midlands Fire Service has completed its investigations.

The cause of the blaze is not known but arson is suspected

The ASH Plastics premises extend to more than 20,000 sq. ft. of manufacturing space, together with 10,000 sq. ft. of warehouse space.