Five days on from the outbreak of the blaze at the former Cummins unit at Westwood Industrial Estate and crews remain on site, working hard to contain the fire, drag the rubbish out of the fire zone, dampen it down, turn it over and check for hot spots.
Crews were first called at 6.20am on Saturday (September 15) to the blaze. At the height of the fire there were 80 firefighters, 14 engines and specialist vehicles on the scene.
Due to the size and nature of the incident, the fire service is set to be working on the site for some days to come. Smoke remains in the area. Kent Fire and Rescue says as crews drag and turn the burning material over, this may result in an occasional temporary increase in the amount of smoke coming from the site.
A spokesman said: “As with any large fire the Environment Agency and Public Health England work with the fire service to assess the impacts of smoke and whether or not it is necessary to monitor air quality.
“Various factors are taken into account including the nature of the fire, weather conditions and whether or not the smoke plume is at ground level. In the initial stages of this fire it was felt there was no need to monitor air quality and for people to follow existing public health advice. All agencies and local authorities remain in regular contact to monitor and review the situation.”
Throughout the incident KFRS has worked with Kent Police, Public Health England, Environment Agency, Kent County Council, Thanet District Council and East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust.
Colin King, area manager at Kent Fire and Rescue Service, said: “Good progress is being made and we can assure local residents and businesses that we are working hard to put the fire out and get things back to normal for the community.
“But this is a long job, and we’re advising people to take note of the Public Health England guidance we have been sharing, which includes keeping windows and doors closed.
“It’s normal for this sort of fire to burn for several days and so we’d like to ask people to bear with us while we bring it under control and make the scene safe.
“We’d like to thank all our partner agencies that have had a role to play, because while it’s our firefighters on the ground tackling the fire, there’s so much that goes on behind the scenes.”
Acrid smoke from the blaze has covered Westwood and Margate, and even further afield, throughout the five days. Northdown Primary closed yesterday and remains shut today due to “unsafe carbon monoxide readings.”
A spokesman for Public Health England added: “As with any large fire the Environment Agency and Public Health England work with the fire service to assess the impacts of any smoke and whether or not it is necessary to monitor air quality.
“Various factors are taken into account including the nature of the fire, weather conditions and whether or not the smoke plume is at ground level. In the initial stages of this fire it was felt there was no need to monitor air quality and for people to follow existing public health advice. All agencies and local authorities remain in regular contact to monitor and review the situation.”
The unit is owned by British Virgin Islands company Conservation Property Holdings. Their UK representative, Biju Ramakrishnan, said the tenant was responsible for the waste.
The fire is fuelled by Refuse-derived fuel (RDF) made up of largely of combustible components of such waste, as non recyclable plastics (not including PVC), paper cardboard, labels, and other corrugated materials.
The Westwood unit was packed with 6,000 bales of the waste, according to the Environment Agency.
Fears have also been raised over asbestos at the site. Although this is yet to be officially confirmed there is a Thanet council building control notice from February this year which describes the unit as a “vandalised building containing asbestos and possible toxic waste.” The status of the notice is marked as ‘pending consideration.’
East Kent Hospitals University Foundation Trust, responsible for hospitals including the QEQM at Margate, says there has not been a rise in people presenting with chest/breathing complaints over the last few days.
The cause of the fire is under investigation by Kent Fire and Rescue Service and Kent Police.
Advice from Public Health England
- People living and working in areas affected by smoke should stay indoors and keep their doors and windows closed.
• Motorists who have to travel through the smoke should keep windows closed, turn off air conditioning and keep their air vents closed.
• Some of the substances present in smoke can irritate the lining of the nose, throat and lungs, the skin and the eyes. Symptoms may include coughing and wheezing, sore throat, feeling short of breath, runny nose or eyes or chest pain. In general, exposure to smoke is more likely to affect people who have existing breathing problems, lung or heart conditions.
• People who are generally fit and well are unlikely to experience long-term health problems from temporary exposure to smoke from a fire.
• The very young and very old, smokers, and people with flu or flu-like illnesses, may also be at greater risk after exposure to smoke from fires.
• To minimise your exposure, limit the amount of time you spend outside in the smoke. People with asthma who may be in the vicinity of the fire should carry their inhaler.
• If symptoms persist seek medical advice by calling NHS 111 or by contacting your General Practitioner (GP). If a medical consultant is already treating an existing health condition, discuss your concerns and symptoms with them. In the case of an emergency call 999.
