TYRE BLAZE HEALTH RISK

Smoke dominated the Doncaster sky as the latest in a series of fires at a tyre dump at Radiance Road took hold yesterday evening, with firemen still dampening the scene down this morning.

Crews had initially struggled to get close the blaze as it was suspected there were gas canisters close to the flames. Radiance Road was shut overnight.

South Yorkshire Police asked all residents in the surrounding area to keep their windows and doors closed until the smoke had dispersed.

A fire service spokesman said the warning to keep windows and doors closed would stand for a couple of days. He added the brigade had attended the site four or five times already this year.

"Dumping tyres is dangerous, illegal and irresponsible," he said.

The blaze broke out at around 7pm last night and the smoke could be seen from miles away.

Members of the Strawberry Island boat club, whose barges and yachts are moored just yards away the site of the blaze, said such fires are a regular occurrence.

The boat club's steward Bob Gair said: "It's a real risk to health, the fumes are disgusting. Luckily, the wind was blowing in the opposite direction last night, but when it's blowing our way lots of burning debris and ashes get blown our way. If someone was caught in one of the boats - especially a child - a fire could catch and they could burn to death.

"As well as that, these boats are very valuable - some of them cost as much as 100,000 and they could easily burn. It hasn't happened yet, thank goodness."

He has called for action from emergency services.

Club member Richard Owen said: "This is the fourth or fifth time this has happened this year and we're more than sick of it - it's really worrying. There are gas canisters on that site and they could easily explode - that's why the fire brigade take so long to put them out, I suppose they're worried about explosions.

"This is the first time this has happened in daylight but it happens a lot - it puts a lot of pollution in the air."