Firefighters tackle 80-tonne rubbish pile at Basingstoke recycling site

Firefighters have been tackling a blaze in a large pile of household rubbish at a recycling site just outside Basingstoke. The fire was discovered just after 10pm last night (29 August) in the tipping hall at the site near Chineham. The fire has involved around 80 tonnes of household waste and the crews have been using a digger, alongside other mechanical vehicles and equipment, to dig out the rubbish and extinguish it. At its height overnight, around 50 firefighters were tackling the incident, with around 15 currently remaining on site. They are expected to remain at the scene for much of the day (30 August), working through the pile of rubbish. No-one has been hurt in the incident and there is no impact on the public from the fire.