Face of Nation : More than 70 firefighters are at the blaze in Winson Green, where recycling material was understood to be alight.
It broke out shortly before 12:40 BST, West Midlands Fire Service (WMFS) said, describing the site on Hooper Street as an “open sided building”. No injuries have been reported but nearby residents were advised to keep windows and doors closed.
Part of Dudley Road – a key route into the city centre and City Hospital – was closed and the fire service advised motorists to avoid the area. Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust said there was heavy traffic in the area, but the hospital was unaffected and all staff and patients were safe.
“There’s no life threat at the moment,” Jason Holt, from WMFS, said. “We’re tackling the building from the outside with jets and hydraulic platforms, so there are no firefighters inside the building.”
Emergency services said they received more than 80 calls about the fire – the cause of which is yet to be established. Crews are expected to remain at the scene overnight as there is “a large quantity of rubbish” involved in the fire, although it is now under control.
