Despite heatwave temperatures on Sunday, residents in the Johnston, Milford Haven, Pembroke Dock, and Neyland areas as well as the other side of the estuary were advised by Public Health Wales to keep windows and doors closed and remain indoors as smoke billowed from a large fire at Waterston.

Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service received a call on Sunday, August 14 at around 2pm reporting a large fire in a commercial premises at Waterston industrial estate, Milford Haven. The blaze was well developed upon their arrival and declared a major incident.

At its peak, 14 fire appliances, a high-volume pump and Incident Command Unit were on the scene, with around 100 firefighters working tirelessly throughout the afternoon, evening and into the night to bring the incident under control. They used specialist assets including a drone to provide situational awareness.

Although the dynamic phase of the incident concluded on Monday, a small number of firefighters remained on scene, working proactively to move and dampen down large quantities of rubbish to avoid reignition.

The incident required a significant multi agency response, including Dyfed Powys Police, Hywel Dda University Health Board, Public Health Wales, Pembrokeshire County Council and other key partners from Dyfed Powys Local Resilience Forum.

Natural Resources Wales officers were on site, to help safeguard residents and the environment. “We will continue to monitor the impact on air quality and local watercourses over the coming days and ensure the necessary measures are in place to minimise any impact,” said Head of South West Wales Operations Martyn Evans.

“No one has been injured, and no adverse effects have been reported in the area at this time,” said Dyfed-Powys police on Sunday. There were no particular concerns for any nearby dwellings so no evacuations were needed.

The fire, which had started at the recycling centre, spread to the nearby property of Enviroventure Waste Solutions Ltd., causing the company to close the yard.

On Tuesday, Managing Director Diana Jones said she was “devastated beyond words”. “Our yard in Waterston is currently closed due to a fire which started at the recycling centre next door and has spread to our premises. Whilst the fire did not start here, it has spread to us, and waste which was awaiting processing has caught fire, and is still smouldering.

“We are working with Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service, other agencies and businesses on extinguishing the blaze, who have worked endlessly.

“We would like to apologise to our customers and neighbours for any inconvenience caused, and would like to thank all those involved with tackling the ongoing fire.

“I would like to give special thanks to our amazing customers for their continued support and understanding, our amazing staff for their tireless work now and always, our family and friends for their continued support and help, to Darren and Jake of JD Jones Recycling who have worked tirelessly and Nening of Airfield Metals, the local farmers and everyone else involved in helping to keep the environmental impact of this blaze, which was outside of our control, to a minimum.”

Pembrokeshire County Council Chief Executive Will Bramble and Deputy Leader Cllr Paul Miller visited the Waterston site on Tuesday morning. They said: “We would also like to express our gratitude to the communities of St Davids, Newgale and Waterston for their support for the first responders and ongoing patience, particularly in the Waterston community.”

Minister for Health & Social Services Eluned Morgan MS also visited the site on Tuesday and spoke to those dealing with and monitoring the impact of the incident. “I’d like thank everyone involved in dealing with this emergency - the firefighters and emergency teams who have put in incredibly long shifts, the farming community who also helped in those critical first hours as well as the workers and management at the site,” she said.

The blaze at Waterston was one of three major fires in Pembrokeshire. Assistant Chief Fire Officer Craig Flannery, Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service said: “With an incredibly busy weekend for the Service, where large scale wildfires in Newgale and St Davids put additional pressure on our resources, it has required dedication, commitment and outstanding resource planning to bring this incident under control.

“It goes without saying that on behalf of the Authority and the Service, I must acknowledge the effort our Firefighters have made in unprecedented and challenging circumstances.”