FIREFIGHTERS are still helping to remove 400-tonnes of rubbish a day from the scene of the longest running blaze in Bromley history.

A digger is being used to load the waste onto trucks at the recycling plant, St Paul’s Cray, to take away to a landfill site while firefighters dampen down.

Today two fire engines remain at Waste4Fuel Ltd, in Cornwall Drive, which caught alight last Monday, (March 18) and crews are likely to remain on the scene until at least tomorrow. (March 26)

Andrew Holcombe, London Fire Brigade's borough commander, said crews have had to contend with freezing conditions and large amounts of water running off and flooding the site.

He said: “We are dealing with a deep seated and slow burning fire but public safety has not been compromised, the roads are open and smoke has been kept to a minimum.”

Three fire engines with 14 crew members will stay at the site until all the material has been taken away.

A firefighter from Eltham station, who had been at the plant off Sevenoaks Way explained the complications behind the operation.

He said: “If you move it around it could set fire to itself. It’s not getting rid of anything.

“So there is a JCB down there loading it onto a truck, but you can only load so much at a time.”

Thirty-five firefighters in six fire engines were called to the blaze which broke out at shortly after 5.45am last Monday. (March 18)

The fire near Crital’s Corner is now one of the longest running fires in Bromley history and has caused major traffic disruption over the past week.