A LARGE fire at a recycling waste facility ripped through 50 tonnes of waste in Dorset.

Firefighters were called shortly after 11am on Saturday, May 20, to reports of heavy smoke billowing from a waste management site off Puddletown Road in Wareham.

Emergency crews rushed to the scene to tackle the fire which affected an area of waste measuring around 22m by 15m.

Addressing the incident on social media, Wareham Fire Station advised residents to “keep windows and doors closed” due to the amount of smoke in the area.

A spokesperson from Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service told the Echo: “We had six pumps in attendance as well as a water carrier from Hampshire.

“50 tonnes of waste was in the holding area and the fire was within that. We used one hose reel jet and two main line jets to extinguish the fire.”

The call to stop came in just before 1pm at least two appliances remained at the scene to dampen the area down.

No cause is known at present but the service spokesperson said the scene would be re-inspected at 7pm on Saturday evening.