30 September 2013
An investigation has started into a fire which caused part of New North Quay to be evacuated.
At 9am on Saturday, [28 September] emergency services were called to New North Quay where an open-topped freight container was on fire.
The volume of smoke from the scrap metal in the container resulted in the quay being evacuated downwind and firefighters using breathing apparatus as they tackled the fire.
Jersey Harbours staff worked closely with the Fire and Rescue Service to contain the incident, and Environmental Health officers tried to control the water run-off using plastic inflatable poly-booms.
Potential business continuity issues
Once the fire was under control, a forklift was used to move the container out of the way so that the loading and unloading of containers ships could resume.
Watch Commander Chris Love said “Although this was not considered to be a large or difficult incident, it quickly developed into an unusual one due to the position and contents of the container and the possible environmental consequences of its water run-off. Because of the location of the fire, any protraction of this incident could have had serious consequences to the business continuity within the Island.
"A successful conclusion was reached through the Fire and Rescue Service, Jersey Harbours, the Environmental Agency, as well as the freight company working closely together."
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