UPDATED - 31-08-23 East Lothian fire - smoke continues to be visible and residents urged to follow safety advice

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service was alerted at 1.40pm on Monday, 28 August to reports of a fire at a commercial landfill site in Dunbar.

East Operations Control mobilised resources to the scene and on arrival firefighters found a significant area of landfill domestic waste well alight.

Until Tuesday 29 August at 5pm, SFRS crews supported Valencia Waste Management staff who were using heavy plant machinery and on-site water pumps to extinguish the fire. Following a detailed assessment, SFRS withdrew resources from the scene, however we remain in regular contact with Valencia and are monitoring the situation closely.

Station Commander, Rick Stark, who is managing the incident, said “We estimate that as of 9am today, Thursday, August 31, the fire is now affecting less than 20% of the landfill pile which represents a sizeable improvement. Whilst the fire has generated a blanket of smoke over Dunbar today, largely due to no wind, its size and scale has reduced significantly. Wind speeds are forecast to increase through the day which we hope will improve local conditions.

“We are confident that this fire is well under control but should there be any escalation, SFRS will mobilise resources to the scene. We continue to work with Valencia Waste Management and partner agencies to minimise the disruption to the local community and will continue to provide updates.

“While smoke continues to be visible, we would ask that residents keep windows and doors closed as a precaution. If travelling through smoke, motorists should keep windows closed, turn off air conditioning and keep their air vents closed.”