Broster Environmental. Bacup

 
Aftermath of the Brosters Environmental Fire, Todmorden

       

These photographs show the aftermath of the major fire at Brosters Environmental Ltd on Bacup Road, Todmorden, which broke out in the early hours of 9 September 2025. The blaze required a major emergency response, with 15 fire engines from Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service and West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service attending the scene.

The fire caused extensive damage to the commercial composting facility and produced a huge plume of smoke that could be seen across the surrounding area. However, the incident did not end when the main flames were extinguished. Due to the large quantities of organic waste and composting material involved, the site continued to smoulder for approximately nine weeks afterwards, with heat and hidden hotspots persisting within the damaged building and waste.

The prolonged aftermath made this more than just a major building fire; it became a lengthy operation involving continued monitoring, cooling and damping-down of the affected site.

The History of Brosters Environmental

The fire occurred at a site operated by Brosters Environmental Ltd, a company with roots in farming and organic waste management stretching back several decades. The Broster family states that it has been farming since 1934, with the family operating at Diggle Green Farm since 1977. The business has developed interests in farming, agricultural contracting, haulage and composting, including the production of organic fertilisers.

Brosters expanded its waste-processing operations into the Todmorden area, taking over the existing waste-management site at Sharneyford Works on Bacup Road in 2015. At the time, the company acquired the Todmorden site as part of an expansion of its operations.

The site subsequently developed into an important facility for processing organic material. By the late 2010s, Brosters was seeking to expand its in-vessel composting operations, with the facility handling compostable green waste and producing agricultural and commercial products such as fertiliser. Planning work over subsequent years allowed the site's processing capacity to increase significantly.

The Sharneyford Works facility on Bacup Road became associated with the processing of food and green waste, forming part of the company's wider environmental and composting operations. An environmental permit for the installation was issued by the Environment Agency in 2023.