57 DAYS after it started, the fire at Averies Recycling is finally out, it has been confirmed.

The Marshgate fire has been fully put out by Wiltshire Fire & Rescue Service, Swindon Council confirmed this morning, with crews from the fire service and Environment Agency set to leave the site tomorrow. 

Residents and businesses are being informed and thanked for their ongoing co-operation and patience throughout the incident.

Bernie Brannan, chairman of the group co-ordinating the multi-agency plan to extinguish the blaze, said: “This positive news will be a huge relief for everyone, particularly those people directly affected by the fire in their daily lives.

"We are tremendously grateful for the ongoing patience and support shown by local residents and businesses during this difficult period.

"Considerable resources have been used in the process and we shall endeavour, in the interests of the public purse, to recover costs involved.

"Frontline officers have worked tirelessly to bring this fire to the swiftest conclusion in extremely challenging circumstances and I would also like to thank them for their important work, which has been so vital in reaching this point.”

A council statement said that as the fire is now fully extinguished, the smoke, which has significantly reduced in recent days, will clear and measures to reduce exposure, if affected by the smoke, no longer apply.

However, anyone who is experiencing symptoms thought to be smoke or ash-related is still advised to seek medical advice through their GP or call NHS 111.

Following the fire, an enforcement notice was served by the Environment Agency because the site was in breach of its permit conditions, which require certain standards for the storage, treatment or handling of waste.

The notice prohibits the entry and treatment of waste on the premises until the site infrastructure is improved. Further enforcement action is being considered for alleged breaches of the site’s environmental permit.

The size of the burning waste stack made it impossible for firefighters to tell exactly how long it would take to fully put out the fire.

For the past fortnight, two excavators have been digging out the stack to break it down, while crews used thousands of litres of water per minute to extinguish the burning material.

In recent days, it became clearer that the fire had not spread as deeply as feared and that an end was in sight.

After working tirelessly throughout the weekend and yesterday, the fire service and the Environment Agency have been able to bring the incident to a close.