Fire crews are tackling a substantial blaze at a recycling yard in Horseley Fields that has closed roads and forced a nearby primary school to shut. West Midlands Fire Service was called to Jones Skips on Cross Street, Wolverhampton, at around 4:25am on Monday 6 July 2026, where approximately 1,000 tonnes of recycling materials, a large building, and machinery were on fire.
Eight fire engines initially attended, with aerial platforms and a high-volume pumping unit later joining the operation. A spokesperson said firefighters had made good progress by 7:30am, but extinguishing the deep-seated pockets of fire within the compacted material remained difficult. Site staff used a mechanical grabber to break apart the pile, giving crews access to smouldering hotspots that would otherwise have been shielded.
Heavy smoke from the fire drifted across the area, prompting Holy Rosary Catholic Primary Academy to close for the day. The city council put diversions in place and urged drivers to avoid a series of roads that were fully or partially shut, including Cross Street, Lower Walsall Street, Willenhall Road, Lower Horseley Fields, Hickman Avenue, and Commercial Road. The fire service expected crews to remain at the scene into the evening continuing damping down operations.
Jones Skips issued a statement apologising to customers and thanking the emergency services for their swift response. The company confirmed its own staff worked alongside firefighters throughout the incident. Similar fires at recycling facilities elsewhere in the region have in the past required extended operations lasting several days to prevent re-ignition.
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