A HUGE blaze at a scrapyard in Renfrew was still being tackled today by dozens of firefighters.

EIGHTY firefighters were still tackling a huge blaze today at a scrapyard in Renfrew.

The inferno broke out in Meadowside Street amid a 30ft mountain of twisted metal.

And the blaze, which is expected to burn for at least another day, sent huge smoke clouds billowing down the River Clyde and over the centre of Glasgow, several miles away.

Water supplies are being lifted from the River Clyde and from a nearby water main.

A firefighting tug has been called for to assist fighting the blaze from the river, while water rescue boats have been called to the dock's edge to look after the safety of firefighters.

The surrounding area has not been evacuated and no one has been injured.

Police say the fire started yesterday afternoon when a car exploded as it was being scrapped. The yard grounds metal and ships it to Europe to be recycled.

Diggers at the site have been drafted in to rip huge chunks of scrap from the blazing mound, in an attempt to help the firefighters get to it.

Hose-reel jets and ground monitors are also in use and seven fire engines are at the scene.

A 300ft plume of smoke, stretching between five and 10 miles, gathered south-west of Renfrew.

Strathclyde Fire and Rescue's scientific advisers have been monitoring the smoke for harmful substances and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency has also been advised.

Strathclyde Fire and Rescue Service described the blaze at the Christie & Son Metal Merchants yard as a "mountain of mangled and twisted scrap metal".

Group commander Andy McCafferty said: "This is a very deep-seated fire, which is going to take a considerable time to extinguish.

"A technical support team of chemists have been here throughout the night, but the smoke pall is rising substantially, so should not affect any residential properties.

"However, if anyone is worried, our advice would be to keep their windows and doors closed."

He said firefighters were initially hampered by a lack of pressure in the water supply, but water from a tributary of the nearby River Clyde was pumped to help out.

Smoke alarms at several hospitals were activated when winds carried thick smoke from the fire and the smell of burning scrap was reported miles away in Lanarkshire and Dunbartonshire.

Health chiefs said alarms at Glasgow's Royal Infirmary, Western Infirmary and Gartnavel General had all been triggered between 6pm and 7.45pm last night - at least three and a half hours after firemen had arrived on the scene.

The fire also caused incoming aircraft at nearby Glasgow Airport to use a slightly different approach route for around 30 minutes last night.

A BAA spokesman said it was a precautionary measure due to the potential for thick smoke to gather on the runway.

He added: "There was no real impact in terms of operations."

Evening Times readers Darrel Hendrie, Steven Gallacher, Evelyn Hardie and J Shovelin captured the drama as fire crews battled to contain the blaze

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