POLICE on Tyneside are investigating the third major timber fire in as many months.
More than 70 firefighters were called in to tackle the large wood fire at Reeves Timber Merchants, Tyne Dock, South Shields, at 2am yesterday.
The first of the trio of fires was at a property partly-owned by tycoon George Reynolds, at Bewicke Road Industrial Estate, Hadrian Road, Wallsend, on Tuesday, May 29.
The second happened at Reivers Reprocessing, on Abbotsford Road, Felling, near Gateshead, on Thursday, July 5.
Speaking yesterday, Brigade divisional officer Kevin Hepple said last night: "An investigation officer has been to the yard, but at the moment there is no evidence to link the previous fires to this one.
"The firefighters have done an excellent job and, although they are still there this morning, we are scaling down the operation."
It took 19 crews from all over the brigade area to control the fire that destroyed about 50 per cent of the timber yard
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