A serious fire in Swansea involving 8,000 tonnes of tyres may not be put out until next month.
Firefighters that have been working on extinguishing the blaze at Fforestfach Industrial Estate since it began on 16 June, say it may not be fully extinguished for some time.
The fire, at Mettoys factory, has been burning steadily for more than a week. At its height more than 70 firefighters were on the scene.
Roger Thomas, group manager with Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service, said: "This has been one of the most complex firefighting operations I have ever been involved with.
"The fire we are dealing with is extremely rare and it requires a unique effort to put it out. Pouring water on the fire in the usual way won’t extinguish it. We need to drag material out of the building, submerge it in water, break it up and then remove it from the site."
He said: "The way we are doing it is a first in Wales but now the fire is under control and not a threat to other buildings in the area, we’ve done some testing and it shows the plan to put it out works.
"At the moment we can’t put a date on when the fire will be extinguished. But we do know that this is the quickest way to do it and over time the size of the smoke plume will significantly decrease."
Local residents have been warned to stay away if possible, and close windows and doors to avoid breathing in the smoke.
Pouring water on the tyres causes a crust to form on the outside which protects material underneath from the water and allows it to continue to burn, the fire service said.
