A large fire that broke out at a scrapyard in Marsa on Friday morning has been contained, but firefighting operations continued during the night.

This is the second major scrapyard fire in just over a week - the previous incident occurred on 12th November, when a fire broke out at a scrapyard close to Tal-Barrani road in Ghaxaq .

The fire in the Marsa scrapyard broke out Friday morning along Garibaldi Street, with police being alerted at around 10:20am. Upon arrival, CPD teams found stacks of discarded vehicles, oils, and other potentially hazardous materials burning, prompting an extensive containment effort.

No injuries have been reported so far.

In its first statement, the Civil Protection Department urged the public to avoid the area due to safety concerns and ongoing emergency response operations. "Residents in nearby towns and villages including Paola and Tarxien are advised to keep all doors and windows closed as a precaution against smoke and fumes."

Garibaldi Street - northbound - was later re-opened to traffic but the public was still advised to avoid the area.

The police had also issued a statement on Facebook advising drivers not to use Garibaldi Road in Marsa.

The government, in a statement of its own in the afternoon, also urged "residents living nearby should keep their windows and doors closed and limit unnecessary travel. These measures are being taken to reduce the risk of smoke inhalation and to protect public health," the government said.

Exposure to smoke can lead to various respiratory and other systemic symptoms, including but not limited to: coughing, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, irritated or burning eyes, sore throat or changes in voice, headaches, dizziness, fatigue, nasal or sinus congestion.

"If you or anyone in your household begins to experience any of the symptoms listed above, please contact the Primary Care Telemedicine Service at 21231231 for immediate guidance," the government said.

At around 2.50pm, the Civil Protection Department issued another post on social media, and said that the blaze was contained. "The fire has been contained, but firefighting operations are still ongoing." The CPD continued advising the general public to avoid the area due to safety concerns and ongoing emergency response activities.

Photos: Civil Protection Malta Facebook page.