Six fire engines fought an overnight fire at a metal recycling centre on Birch Street, Bury, from 12.30am on 6 October. Crews were there about six hours.

Six fire engines were sent to a fire at a metal recycling centre on Birch Street, Bury, in the early hours of Tuesday 6 October. Firefighters stayed at the scene for about six hours.

The Birch Street where the scrap yards trade is in Fernhill, just north of the town centre. The fire service has not named the business involved, so neither do we.

What the fire service said

A Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) spokesperson issued this statement. It has not been posted on the service’s own news page, so we quote it as carried word for word by Rayo and the Bury Times:

“At around 12.30am (Tuesday, October 6), six fire engines from across Greater Manchester were called to reports of a fire at a metal recycling centre on Birch Street, Bury.

“Crews arrived quickly and worked alongside Greater Manchester Police to make the area safe, using specialist equipment to extinguish the fire.

“Firefighters were in attendance for around six hours.”

That puts crews on Birch Street from about 12.30am until roughly breakfast time. The statement does not give a cause. It does not say anyone was hurt.

Not the first fire at a Bury scrap or waste site

Fires at scrap and recycling sites are a familiar call for crews in Bury. The service’s own incident notices record these in the borough in recent years:

When Where What GMFRS reported
26 August 2018 Scrapyard off Pimhole Road Fire involving roughly 15 vehicles; crews from five stations (GMFRS)
4 August 2019 Recycling centre, Every Street Six appliances; three stacks of paper and card alight (GMFRS)
2 to 4 January 2020 Scrapyard, Pimhole Road More than 100 firefighters and 20 fire engines and other appliances at its height; Rochdale Road closed (GMFRS)
April 2021 Landfill site, Pilsworth Road Major incident declared, later stood down; crews still there days later (GMFRS)
3 September 2024 Scrap metal at a commercial site, Pimhole Road Eight fire engines at its height, plus a turntable ladder and drone unit; roads closed (GMFRS)
6 October 2026 Metal recycling centre, Birch Street Six fire engines; about six hours at the scene (GMFRS statement above)

Tuesday’s fire was smaller than the 2020 Pimhole Road blaze, which needed crews on site for days. It was in line with the 2019 and 2024 incidents.

What it means for you

  • The fire is out. According to the statement, crews left after about six hours. No road closures were mentioned.
  • Smoke. At earlier Bury scrap fires, the service’s own notices told nearby residents to keep their windows and doors closed until the incident was over (2018, 2024). If you still smell smoke near Fernhill, that advice applies.
  • Travelling today. Our Bury roadworks and travel page carries the borough’s current closures.

We will update this page if GMFRS publishes a cause or a further statement.