A Royal Wootton Bassett scrapyard containing hundreds of cars and thousands of tyers erupted in fire and over 40 firefighters from all over the county attended the blaze.
Drivers reported seeing the plume of smoke from the Tormarton Junction of the M4 (J18).
Statement from Wiltshire Fire and Rescue:
Crews continue to fight scrapyard fire
Wiltshire Fire & Rescue Service remains at the scene of a severe fire at Swindon Metal Solutions in Thornhill, near Broad Town.
At 6.30am on Friday (6 July), the Service still had three fire engines – from Stratton, Malmesbury and Trowbridge – at the scene, together with an aerial appliance from Swindon and water carriers from Royal Wootton Bassett and Pewsey. An attendance had been maintained throughout the night.
Firefighters were called to the scrapyard at 3.03pm on Thursday afternoon and found multiple scrap cars well alight. The blaze has also affected a workshop and large quantity of tyres, leading to a plume of thick, black smoke rising from the scene. At the height of the incidents, crews from eight fire engines were fighting the fire.
Crews continue to tackle hot spots around the site, but the fire within the stack of tyres is deep seated and is likely to take a considerable time to extinguish. The Service therefore expects to maintain a presence there for much of the day.
The fire remains visible from some distance – anyone in the local area who is concerned about the smoke is advised to keep doors and windows shut.
A fire investigation is underway – at this time, the cause is believed to be accidental.
