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A fire inside Invicta Mill’s compressor room (pictured) was contained by emergency crews on Tuesday afternoon, with no injuries reported and production temporarily halted. Photo: Wilmar Sugar and Renewables.
Wilmar Sugar and Renewables’ Invicta Mill was forced to shut down on Tuesday afternoon after a fire broke out in its compressor room, with emergency crews responding swiftly and bringing the blaze under control within about an hour.
The incident was reported at the Giru site at about 2.20pm on Tuesday 21st July, prompting a response from Ayr, South Townsville and Home Hill fire crews.
Ayr Fire Station Acting Station Officer Luke Mulcahy said firefighters arrived to find smoke and fire coming from the ground-level compressor room, where the mill’s Emergency Response Team (ERT) had already deployed multiple hose lines in an effort to contain the blaze.
Fire crews entered the area wearing breathing apparatus and used hose lines to suppress the fire and prevent it from spreading further.
Mr Mulcahy said the evacuation was successfully completed with no injuries to mill staff or emergency responders.
He said the cause and origin of the fire remained unknown, but confirmed the blaze was contained to the area where it started.
Queensland Ambulance Service and Queensland Police Service also attended the incident.
A Wilmar Sugar and Renewables spokesperson acknowledged the efforts of its ERT and confirmed the factory had been safely shut down, with production halted following the incident.
The spokesperson said the company would provide further information when more details became available.
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