Forums Forums Local News Massive Fire In Birkenhead

well to be honest if the gas place has gone up the spares place has too and if they both gone up then so has the petrol station.... i think it has to be all three otherwise the flames wouldnt be soo bad???

I'm pretty sure the petrol station was alright and while a few bottles went it certainly didn't sound like the whole calor gas yard.

sum1 pt ths up [youtube]N6wz6p8qa0[/youtube]

Thanks for that info about the flats, I didn't want the older people in there to be on their own if it was going to affect them.

Mersey tunnel is still closed. The round about by green lane petrol sation is still closed. Green lane petrol station still closed. I could not get any closer than green lane petrol station.

Shot a little video of the area, could not get pictures as I've not set the camera up yet.

Looks like it was the gas place near the petrol station?

From the Liverpool Echo:

Gas blasts shock as inferno engulfs Wirral warehouse

Apr 13 2010

A HUGE EXPLOSION in a warehouse next to Cammell Lairds was being tackled by firefighters from across Merseyside this morning as flames were seen to be leaping 30ft into the air.

The inferno, which was being tackled by 70 firefighters at its height, is believed to have started in a John S Braid owned warehouse adjacent to Cammell Lairds on Campbeltown Road, on Wirral docklands.

John S Braid is an international logistics and freight company. It is not yet known how the fire started.

As firefighters battled to contain the raging fire there were concerns about the fire reaching the ship yard, a nearby petrol station and a Calor gas store. Eyewitnesses reported hearing loud explosions as they believed acetylene or gas cylinders were catching fire.

A spokesman for Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service said: “This is a significant fire and firefighters fought the fire defensively to stop it spreading.

“We have used what we call a water curtain to try and stop the fire in its tracks. The flames came be seen across the River Mersey in Liverpool. It is too early to determine how or when the fire started but we will be opening an investigation.

“Luckily there are no residential homes nearby which makes our job a bit easier. We received the call at 10.30pm last night.

“We have received over 70 calls to our control room with many of those from Liverpool which gives an indication of how big it is.”

Paul Power, 23, a supervisor at KFC near to the fires epicentre was evacuated by police who closed the A41 at the entrance to the Birkenhead Tunnel to the Rock Ferry by-pass.

Mr Power said: “We could see smoke out the window and then the police arrived and told us that we have to evacuate.

“When we got outside it was evident that it was a massive fire. I have never seen anything like it. There were explosions going off continually as gas canisters were going off.

“The flames were leaping 30ft into the air and a crowd was gathering to watch. It was an incredible sight and the firefighters were battling to control it.

“They seemed to be really struggling.”

Photographer Paul Griffiths said the entire structure of the warehouse was melting. He said: “I got very close to it, maybe too close. The whole of the building was on fire and was buckling in the heat of the fire.

“The fire seemed to be moving backwards towards the River Mersey. I've never seen flames like it. My parents in Prenton could hear what we think must have been gas cylinder explosions.

“People in streets nearby were being told to shut their windows and stay inside but there was a massive crowd as hundreds of people came out to watch it.”

Eyewitness Richard Parker said: “There seem to be multiple fires as the fire is spreading. The fire fighters aren't just training the water onto the fire but on to the street as well. They seem to be trying to dampen it down to stop it from spreading.

“It is an incredible sight, it is as if a thick fog has descended over Rock Ferry, New Ferry and Port Sunlight. It is only getting thicker. The smoke plume is reaching 200 metres into the air.”

All buildings were evacuated as fire fighters did their best to stop the fire spreading. The police helicopter circled overhead monitoring the fire.

Force Incident Manager Inspector Swan said: “We are monitoring the situation closely. Our role has been to close the A41 and divert traffic.

“We are working closely with our emergency service colleagues.”

source

Very interested to hear how this started!

2nd bad fire i have seen in Birkenhead this week.
The other one was by the old railway tunnels near Market Street on sunday night.

Can someone get pics of the scene today if local and allowed access?
I would but got to goto work.

As I walked through the hospital (APH) car park this morning all I could smell was burnt tyres and there are big chunks of ash all over the place.

I Left the house for work this morning at 7:30am the A41 just after the roundabout at bottom of bypass is closed the fire crew are still dampening the flames, Traffic is diverted. a The area is solid with traffic! I went back to Spital and took motorway finally got to work at 8:30.

What time was that?
My fiancee just got to work at APH at 8am as she works in theatres and just asked her and she didn't smell anything.

8.30 Victor - there are little chunks of burnt stuff everywhere - som at least 6" long. If you didn't know there'd been a big fire you wouldn't notice them.

My car is has little flakes of ash all over it

Some photos from this morning