Conveyor Fire Shuts Down Soda Ash Plant for Three Days

Firefighters from 10 municipalities responded to a fire at the Tata Chemicals soda ash plant in Northwich, U.K. on June 8 that interrupted production at the site for several days, local news reports said.

Crews received reports of the fire at about 9:30 a.m., arriving to find flames in a 50m x 20m conveyor belt in a kiln plant at the site, a report by the Cheshire Fire & Rescue Service said.

Area residents were told to keep their doors and windows shut as a precaution due to the possible presence of large volumes of dust. The fire at the plant was knocked the fire down by 2 p.m. and officials determined that no leaks of hazardous substances occurred. All employees were accounted for and no injuries were reported during the incident.

The fire interrupted production at the site for three days, though the company said its service to customers was not impacted, trade publication Industrial Minerals reported.

Soda ash is used in a wide range of applications including chemical manufacturing, pulp and paper production, and soaps and detergents products.

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