Major fire at Smurfit Kappa warehouse in Nechells - which could take days to dampen down

Firefighters continue to tackle a major blaze at packaging plant Smurfit Kappa in Nechells –and involves 8,000 tons of paper and cardboard bales on fire.

Crews were called to the incident on Mount Street at 19:40 on Sunday 12 June and are likely to remain on site for a couple of days to fully extinguish the fire which has been declared a major incident. Around 110 firefighters were called in to tackle the blaze when it was at its peak.

There are no reports of any casualties. Nearby residents and businesses have been asked to keep windows closed, while there have been no reports of any injuries.

Dramatic drone footage, shot at night-time and later released by the brigade, showed the scale of the incident. Local councillor Lee Marsham has praised the fire service for tackling the blaze and called for an investigation into how it started.

West Midlands Fire Service spokesperson said: “At the height of the incident, we had more than 30 fire appliances in attendance - including two aerial hydraulic platforms, multiple fire engines, a high volume water pumping unit, and one of our drones.

“Crews from stations across the West Midlands are working extremely hard to tackle the blaze using main jets.

“We are working closely with Police and Ambulance colleagues, the Environment Agency, Severn Trent Water, and on-site staff, to bring the incident to a safe conclusion.”

Ireland-based Smurfitt Kappa is listed in London and Europe’s largest paper packaging producer.

The Birmingham plant is one of two paper mills it operates in the UK.

It produces 500-700 tonnes of packaging paper every day, which is later converted into cardboard boxes.

Cllr Lee Marsham, Birmingham City Councillor for Nechells said: “On behalf of residents, I would like to thank our firefighters for their bravery and professionalism in dealing with this incident. When it is safe to do so, it is right that the Fire Service and other agencies are given the time and resources to investigate the cause of the fire.

QIn the meantime, I would encourage all local businesses and residents to follow the advice of our emergency services on the ground.”

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