THE fire that ripped through the yard of a metal recycling depot on Gipsy Lane in the early hours of Saturday morning is not thought to have been started deliberately.

Investigators from the Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service worked alongside staff from the EMR site where the blaze took place to carry out an investigation into how it started.

While an exact cause has yet to be determined, a spokesman for the fire service said: "We've completed our side of the investigation.

"There is nothing to suggest suspicious or malicious ignition and it hasn't been passed to the police."

The emergency services responded to the incident shortly before 1am on Saturday morning.

Between 50 and 60 firefighters from stations across Wiltshire were dispatched to help get the raging fire under control.

Clouds of dark smoke billowed high into the air and could be seen for miles around. Residents in the vicinity were advised to keep their doors and windows closed.

It took the fire crews almost five hours to bring the worst of the incident fully under control with the response finally being reduced at around 6am.

Up to three crews remained on site until mid afternoon and at 10am, more than nine hours after the fire started, small pockets of flames could still be seen.

The incident commander at the scene praised the work of the crews who dealt with a challenging incident.

"On arrival they found a rapidly developing fire," said Station Manager Gareth Evans.

"It was quite an intense fire in a pile of metal here for recycling. It would have been burning at about 1000 degrees at the hottest point."

He also acknowledged the efforts of the EMR staff who made their way to the site in the early hours of Saturday to assist with the response.

For their part, EMR apologised to local residents and businesses for any inconvenience caused by the fire or its aftermath.

Gareth Williams, the firm's communications director, said: "While we investigate the cause, we would like to apologise to the local community and businesses for the inconvenience this incident may have caused and would like to reassure them that we take our environmental, health and safety responsibilities very seriously."