School pupils have been told to stay inside and people advised to close their windows and doors because of smoke billowing from a fire which has been burning for four days.  

Residents of Dundar, East Lothian, have been given the warning after a blaze broke out among piles of rubbish at a nearby waste management site.  

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency is monitoring the situation, and firefighters have worked to establish a fire break around the smoldering refuse to ensure it does not spread further.  

The company which owns the site has apologised to people in the area. 

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service said that around 20 per cent of the waste onsite remains smouldering, and that its firefighters have withdrawn.

Crews were called out on Monday afternoon, where they encountered a "significant area" of landfill waste "well alight".

People living nearby have voiced concerns about airbourne pollution and smoke hanging over the town.  

SEPA said that those living in the area should avoid being outdoors for long periods of time until the smoke clears.  

The fire broke out at the Valencia waste plant, which was formerly owned by Viridor but has changed hands.  

SEPA have said that the fire is “under control and being managed by the site operator” 

READ MORE: Huge fire guts derelict Carnbooth House Hotel

The weather forecast over the rest of the day suggests that the smoke may begin to drift from east to west, and schools are being advised to keep pupils inside the building. 

Dr Alex Cockburn, Consultant in Public Health Medicine, NHS Lothian, said: “We are working with partner agencies to closely monitor the situation in Dunbar and surrounding areas. 

“SEPA and East Lothian Council have confirmed that the site is authorised to dispose of non-hazardous waste. Nonetheless, we would urge people living in the area to keep doors and windows closed and not to spend prolonged periods of time outdoors, especially if they can see smoke.  

“The same would apply to schools and we would ask headteachers to keep children in the buildings at break and lunchtimes if possible.” 

READ MORE: Major fire rips through abandoned Clune Park school

Station Commander, Rick Stark, who is managing the incident, said “We estimate that as of 9am today, Thursday, August 31, the fire is now affecting less than 20 per cent of the landfill pile which represents a sizeable improvement.

"Whilst the fire has generated a blanket of smoke over Dunbar today, largely due to no wind, its size and scale has reduced significantly. Wind speeds are forecast to increase through the day which we hope will improve local conditions. 

 “We are confident that this fire is well under control but should there be any escalation, SFRS will mobilise resources to the scene. We continue to work with Valencia Waste Management and partner agencies to minimise the disruption to the local community and will continue to provide updates." 

He added: “While smoke continues to be visible, we would ask that residents keep windows and doors closed as a precaution. If travelling through smoke, motorists should keep windows closed, turn off air conditioning and keep their air vents closed.” 

A spokesperson for Valencia said: “A surface fire was reported at our Dunbar landfill site on Monday with East Lothian Fire Service attending the site and are working to extinguish the fire, before monitoring the waste mass as it cools. 

"Valencia Waste Management would like to apologise for the inconvenience caused by the fire around our Dunbar landfill site and appreciate there is an ongoing presence of smoke in the local community. 

"We will undertake a full investigation into the cause of the fire working with the authorities, and we thank the East Lothian Fire Service and SEPA for their assistance throughout this incident.”