Residents advised to keep windows shut following major fire at Milton Keynes' recycling factory

A stack of blocks of recycled paper caught fire in a waste management building at the Old Wolverton factory in Colts Holm Road, last night.

The resulting blaze swept quickly through the building and spread to external waste bales, causing huge plumes of smoke.

More than 30 fire firefighters attended including some borrowed from neighbouring authorities. Some of them stayed throughout the night and this morning, using breathing apparatus, main jets, hose reels, hay drags and on-site machinery to help move the waste, and to turn over and damp down the fire.

The cause of the blaze is not yet known, though investigations are taking place.

One theory is that a battery could have been among the contents of the recycling blocks and may have exploded under pressure.

This afternoon the fire was out, though the debris was still smoking and residents should keep their windows closed.

Because firefighters managed to contain the blaze to one corner of the outdoor storage area, the rest of the facility is still operational.

The MRF factory, which is run by Viridor, suffered huge fire damage in 2005 - and the probable cause was later ruled to be an electrician's discarded cigarette.

About 80 per cent of the building was destroyed and the flames to took days to extinguish.

Milton Keynes Council later collected a large insurance payout.