Wolverhampton fire: full details of road closures, train delays & more as crews battle blaze

Major travel disruption is ongoing in Birmingham and beyond because of a large fire in Wolverhampton which has been declared a ‘major incident’. There are road closures and train delays and cancellations in place.

More than a hundred firefighters battled a major fire at a derelict factory at Lower Horseley Fields, Wolverhampton on December 5. Crews continued to battle it throughout the day and last night (Tuesday, December 6).

West Midlands Fire Service issued an update at 11pm last night to say that road closures will remain in place while train services had returned to normal. Firefighres are using water from a local canaln to help extinguish the fire and gritters have been requested to manage freezing termpratures.

The ful statement says: “Good progress is being made at the derelict factory fire, with all the day crews now relieved, so that five fire engines, two hydraulic platforms and our incident command unit can remain in place.

“An open water supply is being drawn from a local canal to help with extinguishing the fire and knocking down the smoke plume. We are working closely with Network Rail, Cadent engineers, West Midlands Police and Walsall Council Highways. Multi-agency briefings have been taking place and a demolition plan is being created for the safe removal of a structurally unstable perimeter wall.

“Road closures are to remain in place; gritters were requested and the road area has now been treated to prevent freezing as the temperature drops overnight. Our drone team have also been brought in and our specialist hazardous materials advisors have collected samples which have been sent for analysis. The Environmental Agency have been contacted and drone footage has been shared. They are now liaising with Public Health England.”

The fire service were called just after 9pm on Monday (December 5). The entire factory, measuring approximately 15m x 30m, was involved in the fire. Four fire engines initially responded but the fire service’s response was quickly increased due to the scale of the fire.

Just after 10pm, West Midlands Fire Service declared this a major incident, due to the size of the incident and its proximity to the nearby railway line and houses. By 11.10pm, the fire had expanded to involve multiple factory units, measuring a total of approximately 200m x 200m.

All nearby trains were stopped. Firefighting crews tackled the blaze from multiple angles, and more than 100 firefighters were in attendance. Their High Volume Pumping Unit (HVP) was pumping water from a nearby canal. A thermal imaging drone was brought into use to provide an aerial view of the incident, helping inform operational decisions.

In less than an hour, an evacuation area was developed for local residents because of the smoke and ash. With help from Wolverhampton Council, transport is being arranged for residents to evacuate to two nearby leisure centres.

Ambulance service

“We are currently at the scene of a major fire in the Lower Horsley Fields area of Wolverhampton. We have specialist resources at the scene supporting West Midlands Fire including Hazardous Area Response Team. Please ensure you keep all windows and doors shut if you live nearby and avoid the area,” the West Midlands Ambulance Service said.

Road closures

Road closures remain in place, and will for some time, as Wet Midlands Fire Service’ resources require access in and out of the incident area. Lower Walsall Street, Lower Horseley Fields, and Colliery Road are all currently closed.

Wolvehampton Council said: “As a result of last night’s fire at Lower Horseley Fields, Willenhall Road will remain closed until further notice. Diversions will remain in place for Wednesday morning rush hour. Please allow extra time for your journeys.”