History group creates video to mark 60th anniversary of Great Avon Fire

Six decades on from the largest recorded fire in Wiltshire, a new video from a Melksham history group offers a detailed look back at the blaze in the town.

Melksham and District Historical Association created the video, The Great Fire at Avon Rubber Factory Melksham 15th August 1966 V2, for its September talk, Remembering Avon Tyres.

On the afternoon of 15th August 1966, a fire broke out in bales of raw rubber stacked between the Finished Goods Store and nearby residential homes. Within minutes, the 600,000 sq ft building was in flames.

Emergency services were called at 4.43pm, and the Works Fire Brigade dispatched a fire engine to the scene.

Inside the store, firefighters set up hoses, but low water pressure forced them to pump water directly from the River Avon.

By 9pm, 70 firefighters from Bath, Trowbridge, Devizes, Bradford on Avon and Swindon had brought the blaze under control.

However, the Avon Rubber Factory suffered significant losses, with £750,000 worth of stock destroyed.

An official report in November 1966 concluded the fire was likely caused by a discarded match or cigarette.

Paul Carter, chair of the Melksham and District Historical Association, wrote the narrative for the video, detailing key events and the impact on local residents.

The audio is accompanied by historical photographs from the association’s archive, alongside original film footage captured at the time by Roger Denmark.

Paul said, “The 60th anniversary seemed an appropriate time to put it all together, and so the video was born.”

One viewer described the video as “a fantastic record of Avon and Melksham’s history”.

The video can be viewed on Melksham and District Historical Association’s YouTube channel.