The Great Fire of Byker. Early in the afternoon of Thursday 19th May 2011 the former Shepherd's Scrapyard in Byker, Newcastle caught fire. By 12:25pm the fire brigade switchboard was jammed with calls as the fire spread the length of the site. The plume of smoke could be seen as far away as the Scottish Borders to the north and Middlebrough to the south, blacking out the sun over the Byker Wall housing complex. Local businesses were evacuated and roads closed as over seventy firefighters battled the blaze. Taps and toilets in local flats ran dry as the fire brigade drew all the available mains water as well as further supply from the river Tyne. The blaze was finally extinguished at 4:00am the following day with only one reported injury and no fatalities.
