FIREFIGHTERS tackling a blaze at a scrap metal plant near Newmarket today said they expected the fire to continue burning for the next few days.

FIREFIGHTERS tackling a blaze at a scrap metal plant near Newmarket today said they expected the fire to continue burning for the next few days.

Around fifty firefighters from Suffolk and Cambridge were called to Snailwell at 9.50pm yesterday and spent more than four hours bringing the fire under control.

Efforts were made to break up a pile of metal, wood and tyres measuring 150 metres by 50m before using water curtains to douse the smaller sections.

Bruce Parcell, station manager for Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service, said it had been exhausting work.

He said: “Because of the size of the fire and the objects involved, efforts to extinguish the fire using a high quantity of water would have been fruitless as the water would run off and the fire would still be smouldering underneath.

“For this reason we had to start breaking up the pile. This has been exhausting work and I would like to thank the crews and also the workers at the plant for their efforts.”

A thick plume of smoke billowed into the air and fire officers advised residents to take precautions by closing their doors and windows.

Mr Parcell said an investigation into the cause of the blaze would take place once the fire was put out, which he said could take a couple of days.