Fire in paper recyclers at Matraville
Published: 18th February 2009
This afternoon fire crews from Matraville, Botany, Maroubra, Mascot, Randwick, Woollahra, Arncliffe, Kogarah, Redfern, Newtown, Hazmat specialists from Alexandria, two Duty Commanders and the Zone Commander responded to a fire in a paper recycling factory at Matraville. The first crews were on scene in six minutes to find a large amount of waste paper, in an open area, ablaze. The fire was in bales and piles of waste paper covering a large area and several metres high. Firefighters used on site bulldozers to separate and pull apart the paper to assist extinguishing the fire. Firefighting water was retained at the site and Hazmat firefighters monitored the water run off and any smoke. Extinguishing the deep seated fire is a lengthy process and fire crews were required to continue working overnight.