We are making steady progress but it's a very severe fire
Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service
Six fire crews were called to the City Industrial Waste site on Mobouy Road in Campsie at 10.20am alongside a number of specialist appliances designed to deal with serious incidents. These included a high volume water pump and aerial platform to enable firefighters to tackle the flames at height.
The operations were hampered by the fact that 1,000 plastic-covered bales of processed waste were in front of the building in which the fire started, making it harder for firefighters to reach it.
Today (March 3), the Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service (NIFRS) said that the situation had improved but that the fire was still “severe” and they expected to remain on site for another day.
Residents living nearby have been advised to keep their doors and windows closed as a precautionary measure.
A spokeswoman for the NIFRS said: “Firefighter operations still continue and there are about 40 firefighters in attendance today. We are making steady progress but it's a very severe fire. It is anticipated that we will be on site for a further 24 hours.”
The spokeswoman said the fire had originated in a building on site and, although the cause was unknown, it was thought to be accidental.
Commenting on behalf of City Waste, lawyers Campbell Fitzpatrick said: “At approximately 10.15am a fire broke out within Recycling Building Two. City Waste's Fire Safety Plan was immediately implemented and the Fire Service was alerted. Thankfully, due to the swift actions of City Waste Staff and the Fire Service, all staff on-site were evacuated safely.”
The company thanked the fire service for containing the fire and said it hoped to be operational again soon with “minimal disruption” to service.
A spokeswoman for Derry city council confirmed that some domestic waste from its civic amenity sites is processed at the City Waste site but insisted that this waste had not been affected by the fire.
She said: “Normal operations are continuing at council civic amenity sites as the company, City Waste, has put in place arrangements to manage and recycle waste at an alternative site in Omagh.
“The Council's Environmental Health department is continuing to liaise with the relevant regulatory authorities and agencies who are attending the incident.”
Services
City Industrial Waste is waste collection and recycling company which services both public and private sector organisations. At the Londonderry site, where it is based, it has a materials recycling facility. The company currently employs 80 people and provides services throughout Northwest Northern Ireland.
Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) staff are on site and are working closely with the Fire and Rescue Service and others to minimise the environmental impact, including on the River Faughan which is several hundred metres from the site.
A spokeswoman said: “Efforts to minimise environmental damage include NIFRS using water from ponds on site to fight the fire, therefore recycling water within the site and minimising the potential volume of fire-water runoff.
“There is no evidence of any pollution escaping from the site to nearby watercourses.”
Subscribe for free