Fire at Brisbane tyre recycling depot

An excavator will be used to help extinguish a smouldering pile of recycled tyres at a Brisbane depot.

Firefighters say there are large mounds of processed tyres at the Rocklea recycling facility, and it's feared a serious fire could develop.

"If we don't get to the seat of it very quickly, it could turn into a protracted job," Queensland Fire and Rescue Service spokesman Mark Welsh has told ABC radio on Monday.

Fire crews were called to the scene about 3.30am.

Mr Welsh said an excavator would be used to dig up hot spots and cool them, hopefully preventing a larger fire from taking hold.

"It's only smouldering at this stage. We don't envisage, at this stage, that there'll be a large smoke plume from it."