The blaze that can be seen from space: Nasa satellite picks up on 6,000ft plume of smoke after 15,000 TONNES of tyres catch fire



People living near the blaze, in Sherburn-in-Elmet, were advised to keep their doors and windows closed

North Yorkshire Police said the smoke was heading across the moors and towards the east coast

It initially required the attention of 14 fire crews, and fire fighters will remain at the scene for 'some days yet'




A Nasa satellite picked up on this 6,000ft plume of smoke after 15,000 tonnes of tires set alight in North Yorkshire.

People living near the blaze, at a tyre recycling plant in Sherburn-in-Elmet, were advised to keep their doors and windows closed after the fire was reported to the authorities.

The fire initially required the attention of 14 crews, and it is thought fire fighters will be working on the blaze for 'some days yet'.

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North Yorkshire Police said the smoke was heading across the moors and towards the east coast. Because the plume was so high in the sky, police said the risk of harm to the public was low.

But the Yorkshire Ambulance Service said, after the blaze started yesterday morning, that a clinical supervisor and a Hazardous Area Response Team officer were sent to the scene as a precautionary measure.



A spokesman for the Advance Flight Training School, based at Sherburn Airfield, which shares a boundary with the tyre recycling plant, said: 'It's very thick and smoky, and I can tell you from first hand experience it goes up to 5,000 feet and stretches about 25 miles to the north.



'We have a full day of flights booked and we're still going up. We had about 10 this morning, about the same this afternoon. We're not allowing student pilots to go up, in case the wind changes direction. If it blows across the airfield, we would have to ground everything.'



The pilot said North Yorkshire Fire Service had told the club the fire may take days to extinguish.



More than a dozen fire crews were sent to tackle the fire, which reached 6,000ft and drifted more than 25 miles People living near the blaze have been advised to keep windows closed after up to 15,000 tonnes of material, including tyres, caught light A spokeswoman for the Yorkshire Ambulance Service said a clinical supervisor and a Hazardous Area Response Team officer had been sent to the scene as a precautionary measure After the blaze started on Thursday morning, 14 fire crews were initially called out to extinguish it

A Public Health England spokesman said no one had so far reported suffering any 'ill effects' from the fire.



'However, sheltering indoors provides protection from exposure to smoke, so we advise residents in areas affected by smoke from the fire to stay indoors and keep their doors and windows closed as much as possible to limit any exposure to smoke,' they said.

'Reports from the scene indicate that the smoke is not affecting areas close to the site at this time.'

They added: 'Anyone who suffers from respiratory conditions, such as asthma, is advised to ensure they have taken any prescribed medication and keep it to hand. If you are concerned about the effects of smoke on your health, telephone your GP or call 111 for advice.



'Motorists who have to travel through any smoke should keep windows closed, turn off air conditioning and keep their air vents closed. '

Flames and smoke rise into the night sky at the site of the huge fire, which began on Thursday morning Residents of the area had been advised to keep doors and windows closed after the fire broke out A Public Health England spokesman said no one had so far reported suffering any 'ill effects' from the fire Crews from Humberside and West Yorkshire - as well as North Yorkshire - attended the fire

Schools in local villages were alerted to the potential dangers.



North Yorkshire Fire Service sent 14 crews to the scene, as well as a specialist pump which can send water longer distances than normal. Two crews remained at the scene overnight and the service said the blaze would require attention for 'some days yet'.



Crews from Humberside and West Yorkshire also attended the fire, which broke out around 8.30am on Thursday.

In a Nasa satellite image published by ITV Calendar's website, a column of smoke could be seen towering into the sky and rising above the cloudy skies over Yorkshire.