One hundred firefighters are at the scene of a major fire. Significant smoke is billowing from the scene and residents in several nearby towns and villages have been told to keep windows and doors closed, and remain indoors until further notice. You can follow live updates on this fire, and others that are still burning in Wales on Sunday evening, here.
Thick black smoke has been billowing into the sky since this afternoon at Milford Haven's Waterston Industrial Estate. Road closures have also been in effect there. A large storage unit has been destroyed by the fire, which spread to an adjacent waste recycling centre. Crews are working to extinguish the fire at both locations and mitigate further spread.
No one has been injured, and no adverse effects have been reported in the area. There are no particular concerns for any nearby dwellings and therefore no evacuations are being considered at this time. Residents in the Johnston, Milford Haven, Pembroke Dock, and Neyland areas, as well as people living on the other side of the estuary, are being advised to keep their windows and doors closed and to remain indoors until further notice.
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Welsh fire crews have been responding to several serious fires on Sunday: one on the Rhigos mountain above Treherbert, Rhondda Cynon Taf, is expected to keep the Rhigos mountain closed. There is also a major fire near a caravan park in Newgale, Pembrokeshire.
Officers at Dyfed-Powys Police have confirmed that no-one has been injured in the incident at Milford Haven but Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service have approximately 100 staff on scene, with 14 appliances and "specialist assets, including a drone" to provide "situational awareness" to officers tackling the blaze.
The update comes hours after officers confirmed police and other emergency services personnel had been called to the area of Waterston Industrial Estate in Waterston, Milford Haven at 2.10pm on Sunday. Members of the public were asked to avoid the area and motorists travelling through the town were asked to take alternative routes.
The full statement from Dyfed-Powys Police explains: "At approximately 2pm this afternoon (Sunday August 14) Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service was called to the scene of a large waste site fire at a unit in Waterston Industrial Estate. A large storage unit has been destroyed by the fire, which spread to an adjacent waste recycling centre. Crews are working to extinguish the fire at both locations and mitigate further spread. Significant smoke is billowing from the scene of the fire, and residents in the Johnston, Milford Haven, Pembroke Dock, and Neyland areas as well as the other side of the estuary are advised to keep windows and doors closed, and remain indoors until further notice.
"Senior officers on scene are liaising with Natural Resources Wales, Welsh Ambulance Service Trust, Dyfed-Powys Police, Pembrokeshire County Council and local contractors to establish a plan to extinguish the fire in the next few days. The B4325 road is closed, so the public are asked to avoid the area and take an alternative route. We thank the public in the area for their cooperation and understanding whilst every effort is made to bring this to a safe conclusion as soon as possible."
Chief fire officer Roger Thomas, who attended the scene, added: "Crews have worked extremely hard tackling the fire in hot and challenging conditions, to mitigate against the effects to the environment and from a public health perspective. Crews are also attending a large grass fire in Newgale, meaning approximately 20 appliances have been in attendance in the area tackling fires. This has placed a great deal of strain on our local resources."
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