A fire in Erith, U.K. at an industrial unit triggered over 50 emergency calls and was attended by 15 fire appliances and 97 firefighters. The blaze appears to be at Allied Hygiene, manufacturers of various types of wet wipes. The industrial unit, which was completely destroyed by the fire, is located at the junction of Yarnton Way and Centurion Way. Although the fire was adjacent to two gas holders they appear to have posed no extra danger: gas holders are no longer part of the U.K.s National Gas Network.
The cause of the fire is not yet known. Based on the typical chemicals used in the manufacture of paper wipes it appears likely that isopropyl alchohol may have contributed to the intensity of the blaze.
London Fire Brigade worked tirelessly to bring the blaze under control and to protect lives and property. The LFB news report is reproduced below.
Erith - industrial unit fire
21 February 2015
Fifteen fire engines and 97 firefighters and officers were called to a fire at industrial units on Yarnton Way, Erith in the early hours of this morning.
A storage warehouse was completely destroyed by fire and it also damaged two adjacent units. Three lorries were also badly damaged by the blaze. The smoke and fire could be seen from miles away and 999 control operators took over 50 calls in the early stages of the incident.
Station Manager Norman Perry, who is at the scene, said:
“Fire crews worked hard to bring this under control. The blaze was in an industrial area and we managed to stop it spreading to any residential homes. We are likely to be at the scene throughout the morning damping down pockets of fire.”
The Brigade was called at 0202 and the fire was under control by 0540. Fire crews from Greenwich, East Greenwich, Plumstead, Erith, Lee Green, Eltham, Deptford, Poplar, Shadwell, Bexley, Lewisham, Millwall and Sidcup fire stations attended the incident. The cause of the fire is not known at this time.
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