Hampshire firefighters tackle blaze at Southampton docks

A huge pile of metal weighing 35,000 tonnes burst into flames in the city docks.

Firefighters raced to the S. Norton & Co yard off Western Avenue after being alerted to a blaze at around 5am on Thursday.

Emergency services worked through the morning to control the fire in the S. Norton & Co yard off Western Avenue.

Three fire engines and a ladder platform were brought in to tackle the blaze

A tugboat and cranes were also called in to assist.

Residents living in the Freemantle and Millbrook areas were urged to keep their windows shut.

However, no injuries or property damage were reported.

Similarly, there was no disruption to port services or trains that use the nearby railway track.

The blaze was finally brought under control at around 11am.

Commenting at the time, Group Manager for HFRS, Paul Reddish, said: “The fire is now under control and we will shortly be returning to station.

“It was a deep-seated fire in a 35,000-tonne pile of scrap metal, but thanks to the actions of our crews working alongside the port staff, who are operating cranes and other machinery to assist with firefighting efforts, we were able to access the fire and limit fire spread.

“We were also supported by our Environment Agency partners in ensuring any water run-off from the fire was contained.”

S. Norton & Co has since issued a saying: “We apologise to our neighbours and the general public for any disruption this incident may have caused. The fire, which only affected one small part of a stockpile, was handled promptly and professionally by the fire services, in conjunction with our own teams who are trained if such instances occur.

“We wish to thank all concerned including the Fire Service, ABP, Solent Stevedores and Norton’s own staff for their response to this incident.

“We will now be working closely with the relevant bodies to identify the cause of the fire.”

At this point in time, the cause of the fire is unknown, however, an investigation is underway.