Levels of a harmful air pollutant exceeded a safety limit for residents on one occasion following a massive waste fire on a Lancaster industrial estate - the council has revealed.
Lancaster City Council said this happened on December 13 - 10 days after the blaze involving 13,000 tonnes of commercial waste broke out at the former A1 Supa Skips site on Port Royal Avenue.
But the council said no area was subjected to a smoke plume which billowed above the site, for extended periods of time - significantly decreasing risks to health - and at no other time did levels raise above the limit.
Nearby residents and businesses, some of whom complained about the ongoing stench from fumes, were advised to stay indoors and keep doors and windows shut if they smelled smoke as crews remained on site for weeks after the fire began on December 3.
A resident told Beyond Radio in December 2023, how people had been having breathing difficulties as "thick, acrid, choking" fumes continued to come from the site.
The authorities also advised people who were experiencing health issues they thought could be from the smoke, to call NHS 111 or contact their GP.
Meanwhile air sensors have enabled the council to monitor concentrations of particulate matter PM10 and PM2.5, air pollutants harmful to health.
Particulate matter is a common air pollutant and consists of very small particles found in dust and smoke. The particles have a diameter of less than 10 micrometres (PM10), 2.5 micrometres (PM2.5) or even smaller.
The set safety limits were 100 µg/m3 for PM10, and 70 µg/m3 for PM2.5, averaged over an eight-hour period.
In consultation with experts from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), limits for exposure to particulate matter for residents’ safety were set.
As the monitors produced real-time data, minute-by-minute updates were available, meaning the council and the UKHSA could be notified of a risk immediately if the limit exceeded.
The council said that only once – on December 13 – did the particulate matter reach the limit set over an eight-hour period.
But, said the council, this rapidly dropped in the following eight-hour period from 103 µg/m3 of PM10 to 46 µg/m3.
They said that with changing weather and wind directions, the smoke plume from the fire which remained above residents' homes for days following the blaze, regularly changed direction.
This meant that no area had been subjected to the smoke for extended periods of time - significantly decreasing risks to health, said the council.
The council said that at no other time did levels raise above the limit.
Their air quality monitoring began as soon as the fire broke out and continued throughout the incident.
Read more: VIDEOS and PHOTOS: Ten fire engines called to blaze on Lancaster industrial estate - Beyond Radio
Lancaster City Council agreed to contribute a total of £1.4m to help Lancashire Fire and Rescue to gain access to the seat of the fire by paying to demolish part of the building.
This enabled firefighters to extinguish the blaze, waste to be removed and the risk reduced of the fire reoccurring.
The smoke plume was eventually declared 'under control' around three weeks after the fire broke out.
The council was later able to recoup £764,916 of their outlay from the government.
Some eight months on, the site appears to be largely untouched since emergency services declared the fire to be extinguished.
The council has written to the owners to remind them that they have a responsibility to ensure the site is safe.
Councillor Phillip Black, leader of Lancaster City Council, said: “Although the emergency phase of the incident is over, it is important that people know we continue to put pressure on the owners to live up to their responsibilities. They have a duty to ensure that their site is safely maintained and that there are no potential risks to the community.
“In addition to reminding them about their obligations we have requested a meeting to discuss matters further, with a view to finding out more about their plans for the long-term future of the building.”
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