Problems caused by the 2020 Bradford Tyre Fire
In addition to the social disruption to schools, transport and local residents all fires pose chemical risks from:
- Particulates are deposited in the atmosphere and cause air pollution.
- A large number of burning tyres produce around 25,000 gallons of run-off oil.
- Noxious gases including carbon monoxide, sulphur oxides, and nitrogen oxides
- Volatile organic compounds, aromatic hydrocarbons
- Dioxins, hydrogen chloride, benzene
- Metals such as cadmium, mercury, chromium, and vanadium
Other Issues
- 100 firefighters, 15 fire engines took 7 days to put the fire out. There is still a major clean up exercise to be completed.
- It is illegal to burn old tyre and forbided to send them to waste landfill sites. There is a cost to correct legal disposal.
- There is a commercial cost to businesses and insurers
- According to the Bradford Telegraph and Argus ‘A man aged 59 and a 48-year-old woman were arrested in North Yorkshire last week in connection with the blaze.’
- In June 2015 more than 1,000 tyres were burning in a car park believed to be rented. Leeds Road was closed while seven crews tackled the fire.