Northern Ireland

Major blaze at Co Down waste recycling plant believed to be 'accidental ignition'

Fire at a recycling plant near Killough, Co Down on Thursday. Picture by Mal McCann
Fire at a recycling plant near Killough, Co Down on Thursday. Picture by Mal McCann Fire at a recycling plant near Killough, Co Down on Thursday. Picture by Mal McCann

A MAJOR blaze at a waste recycling plant in Co Down is believed to have been started accidentally.

The Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) said yesterday that crews "worked hard in challenging conditions to bring the fire under control" at the MacNabb Waste Management site in Killough.

Staff were safely evacuated from the plant on the Downpatrick Road, but huge plumes of smoke could be seen coming from the site for several hours.

The blaze was reported shortly before 10.30am on Thursday and the NIFRS said that crews remained at the scene for almost 24 hours.

Residents had been urged to avoid the area and keep all doors and windows closed.

Marcus Wright, area commander for the NIFRS said that it is believed the fire had been an "accidental ignition".

He said that "crews from across Northern Ireland responded to the incident and at its height nine fire appliances, including a command support unit, an aerial appliance and a high volume pump were in attendance".

"Firefighters wore breathing apparatus and used jets and foam jets to extinguish the fire," he said.

"We worked hard in challenging conditions to bring the fire under control and the incident was dealt with by 9.48am on Friday 3 September 2021. The cause of the fire is believed to have been accidental ignition."