Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) continue to combat a silo fire at a food manufacturing facility in Bomaderry, on the state’s south coast.
FRNSW firefighters responded to an automatic fire alarm activation at the facility in Bolong Road just before 9.30 am. On arrival, the crews found a smouldering fire in a silo, containing 600 tonnes of grain pellets.
HAZMAT and rescue teams
Bolong Road has been closed in both directions, and nearby businesses have been evacuated
FRNSW crews, a scientific officer and HAZMAT and rescue teams are working together with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), NSW Police and Rural Fire Service (RFS) and the on-site facility engineers to remove the product from the silo in the safest way possible.
An exclusion zone has been established, which has impacted all buildings within an 800-meter radius of the burning silo. As such, Bolong Road has been closed in both directions and nearby businesses have been evacuated, impacting daily operations. The road closures will remain in place until further notice.
Protracted incident
FRNSW Zone Commander, Superintendent Mark Cavanough, said that while this is a protracted incident, all measures are being considered to ensure the fire is ultimately extinguished safely.
Superintendent Mark Cavanough stated, “FRNSW is deploying a drone every hour to measure the temperature of the silo to ensure it remains safe.”