Factory fire in Hull, UK involved 300 tonnes of plastic
30 November 2021
A major incident was declared in Hull, northwest England on November 24 after a fire broke out at a factory containing around 300 tonnes of plastic. No one was injured during the incident; however, it took a multi-agency response to tackle the blaze, including 14 fire engines and 70 firefighters.
Image: Humberside Fire and Rescue Service
Humberside Fire and Rescue Service (HFRS) said it received an initial call at 15:30 local time to a fire at a plastic products factory belonging to Bridgewood UK. Working with partner agencies, HFRS was able to bring the fire under control in the early hours of November 25. Around 300 tonnes of plastic were inside the factory at the time of the blaze. The HFRS said all staff were safely evacuated with no injuries or loss of life due to the result of the actions by the management team and the processes in place at the business.
A large plume of black smoke could be seen from across the city of Hull throughout the afternoon, with some local residents shared images of black material that had showered the nearby area during the fire.
A major incident was declared later in the afternoon of November 24. Local residents in properties near the incident were evacuated as a precautionary measure, with support from Humberside Police and local authorities. Residents were allowed back to their properties in the early hours of November 25.
Humberside Police, UK Health Security Agency, Yorkshire Ambulance Service and Environment Agency were on scene and supported firefighters to bring the fire under control. As the large plume of smoke reduced to wispy white smoke after using foam and water to extinguish the flames, HFRS reduced the number of fire engines to six, and remained on scene to continue to dampen any residual heat and monitor the incident throughout the rest of the day.
Jason Kirby, Director of People and Development at Humberside Fire and Rescue Service, said: “This is multi-agency working at its best; as the major incident was declared we rallied together, and this resulted in us bringing this large industrial fire quickly under control. Over 150 firefighters attended this incident, our Fire Control Operators took 127 emergency 999 calls within minutes, and countless more internal communications as they arranged crewing, working alongside colleagues from other agencies.”
“Our Prevention and Protection staff have visited the residential area nearby, carrying out community reassurance with residents of the evacuated properties and those properties facing the fire, and the response has been amazing. Thank you for everyone’s support, encouragement and cooperation during this time.”
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