FIREFIGHTERS are hopeful of extinguishing a fire burning in a scrap tyre heap at Longford by tomorrow night.
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The fire started at Tyre Recycling Tasmania in Union Street at 2am this morning.
Longford fire brigade chief Michael Armstrong said the blaze had burnt to the ground a shed at the site and continued to smoulder in the tyre pile.
"Two ground crews are dousing the tyre pile fire with water until we can get it cool enough to get some machinery in to pull it apart,'' Mr Armstrong said.
"It depends on how long it takes the tyres to cool but we should have it out by tomorrow afternoon.''
Mr Armstrong said a shed which contained tyre shredding equipment was consumed by the fire.
Investigators from Tasmanian Fire Service are on site and will examine the building once the rubble has cooled.
Mr Armstrong said neither the cause nor the ignition point of the blaze was known at this stage.
Thick black smoke issuing from the burning rubber has prompted the Tasmanian Fire Service to issue a health warning to Longford residents.
Residents are urged to close doors and windows and switch off their air-conditioning to avoid inhaling the tyre smoke.
Earlier today, a spokesman from the service said some residents at a nearby caravan park have moved to avoid the fumes.
Fire crews from Longford, Perth, Evandale, Launceston, Prospect and Ravenswood are at the scene.