Drone footage of Birtley fire show train passing by

The shocking video was taken as firefighters battled to get the blaze crews at Shee Recycling in Birtley under control on Monday night.

The intensity and scale of the fire is clear from the video, and the camera pans left to the nearby adjacent East Coast Mainline as a train passes the site.

It is thought the train was heading north from Durham to Newcastle when the footage was captured.

While the fire did not come into contact with the railway, Network Rail workers did attend the scene to support the fire brigade with their efforts to tackle the fire.

It involved turning off the overhead line equipment, electric wiring that powers some trains, overnight on Monday, February 7.

The line was safely reopened by the start of service the following day after the railway had been inspected by Network Rail staff.

Network Rail said passengers on a LNER London King’s Cross to Newcastle service were moved into taxis after the service was cancelled at Durham station.

The train was able to pass through the area, empty and in diesel mode, under close supervision at around 3:10am on Tuesday.

Sam MacDougall, Head of Network Delivery for Network Rail said: “Thankfully, this fire didn’t reach our railway.

"Our operations teams reacted quickly to support the fire brigade and make sure the line could safely reopen for passengers on Tuesday February 8.

"We’ve continued to monitor the situation and work with the emergency services."

Read more: Recycling plant destroyed by huge fire was subject to criminal investigation

One of the things that worked in our firefighters’ favour was that for the majority of the time throughout the fire, the wind was blowing the smoke plumes in the opposite direction of the rail tracks.

A Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson said: "There were a number of challenges that we successfully overcame during the three-day incident in Birtley.

"As you can imagine a fire of this magnitude will always deliver a great deal of testing circumstances. 

"One of those areas we were very conscious of was the local transport network. 

"Our crews worked closely throughout the incident in partnership with the local road and rail providers to ensure the public’s safety was in the forefront of our thinking.  

“One of those partners was Network Rail. They sent a Rail Incident Officer to the scene to assess the situation and worked alongside our firefighters. 

"Initially the trains were suspended and the power supply was isolated.

"Our crews managed to prevent the spread of the fire, which in turn ensured the trains could recommence on the East Coast Mainline.”    

In total, more than 60 firefighters were at the site over a four-day period, using drones, aerial ladder platforms and thermal imaging cameras to tackle key parts of the fire.

On Thursday, Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service confirmed that the fire had been fully extinguished and that the last of the crews had left the site on Durham Road.

The fire at Shee Recycling. Picture: TWFRS

And today, (Friday, February 11) they released dramatic drone footage that showed the scale of the fire at its peak.

Chief Fire Officer Chris Lowther praised TWFRS staff for their efforts in keeping the community safe. He said “It’s been an incredibly tough four days for our operational crews and staff but I couldn’t be more proud of the way they have stepped up to the challenge.

“It’s not often that incidents like this happen in our region but I hope that this response shows our local communities that we will always be there when they need us.

“This is why we practice and test our skills, because when things like this happen we are quick into action and know what needs doing.

“I also want to thank our partners who have helped us throughout the four day effort, working so closely and sharing knowledge is key in situations like this and without them it would have been incredibly difficult.

"We work with blue light and other partners on the basis of Joint Emergency Service Interoperability Principles (JESIP) and these have stood us in good stead in working to resolve this emergency and support public safety.

“I’m extremely proud of my staff for their response.”

The fire at Shee Recycling. Picture: TWFRS

TWFRS have now left the scene after confirming the fire had been fully extinguished and the A167 reopened late on Wednesday evening. A full investigation is now underway into the incident and TWFRS are supporting Northumbria Police who are treating the incident as a suspected arson.

Read more: Teenager arrested for arson at recycling plant

A 19-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of arson and released pending further inquiries. Police are also trying to trace a second suspect. Anyone with information can contact police via the ‘Tell Us Something’ page of their website or by calling 101 quoting reference number NP-20220207-1158.

Alternatively, can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

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