Abandoned trailer packed with waste catches fire near Newport
The A41 was closed for hours on Sunday 27 September
A fire involving a trailer packed with waste took hours to put out and led to the A41 being closed near Newport.
Firefighters were called to the trailer in a lay-by at Chetwynd Firs at around 9.30pm on Sunday (27 September).
The trailer was abandoned and packed with waste from floor to roof, making the fire difficult to tackle, firefighters say.
Crews used large amounts of water and an aerial ladder platform to reach the flames from above.
A Market Drayton Fire Station spokesperson said: "Due to the large volume of water required to fight the fire, a water-ferrying system was established from two fire hydrants, utilising appliances from Market Drayton, Wellington and Tweedale.
"Crews worked in challenging conditions due to the significant amount of smoke being produced and the potential instability of the trailer, to cut away the side wall to gain better access to the burning waste inside.
"Due to the tonnes of waste inside the trailer, and the way in which it had been compacted together, fully extinguishing the fire became a prolonged operation, with crews having to dig into the waste to locate and extinguish multiple deep-seated hotspots."
The A41 was closed between Chetwynd and Standford Bridge while the fire was dealt with, and has since reopened.
West Mercia Police and Telford and Wrekin Council also attended.
The cause of the fire is being investigated and is currently being treated as being of doubtful origin.