Friarton Bridge reopens after recycling site fire

The Friarton Bridge in Perth has reopened after smoke from a blaze at a nearby recycling centre forced its closure for almost 10 hours.

Emergency services were called to the centre, which is underneath the bridge, on Lower Friarton Road at about 03:00.

The bridge had been closed in both directions, with traffic being diverted through Perth.

Recycling firm Enva, who operate the site, said the fire broke out in an exterior storage bay and that the likely cause was a waste battery.

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service said that it had sent four appliances to the incident and that three appliances remain at the scene.

A spokesman for Enva said: "There are no injuries reported, and the site's design and fire containment measures worked effectively, ensuring the fire did not spread to the main recycling facility or other buildings.

"The incident occurred in the reception area for inbound electrical waste and was unrelated to the site's processing infrastructure, which was not operational at the time."

The company said it would launch an "immediate and thorough investigation" into the incident.

Perth and Kinross Council has advised nearby residents to keep their windows closed due to the volume of smoke.

Four fire appliances were initially sent to the incident.

First Minister John Swinney, who is MSP for Perthshire North, said he was "very concerned" at news of the blaze and was "monitoring the situation closely."

The recycling centre was the scene of a fatal fire in February 2023.

The site was purchased by Enva in August of that year.