Update from Kent Fire & Rescue 20th September 2018
Information and advice for businesses: Westwood fire
As you know, firefighters have been tackling a fire at an industrial unit in Enterprise Way since Saturday morning (15 September).
Crews remain on site where they are working hard to contain the fire, drag the rubbish out of the fire zone, dampen it down, turn it over and check for hot spots.
Due to the size and nature of the incident, the fire service is set to be working on the site for some days to come. Smoke remains in the area as expected, and as crews drag and turn the burning material over, this may result in an occasional temporary increase in the amount of smoke coming from the site.
Businesses are advised to conduct their own risk assessment before opening, to take the smoke in the area, and any other factors, into account. The advice to keep windows and doors closed remains.
As with any large fire the Environment Agency and Public Health England have worked with the fire service to assess the impacts of smoke and whether or not it is necessary to monitor air quality. Various factors are taken into account including the nature of the fire, weather conditions and whether or not the smoke plume is at ground level. In the initial stages of this fire it was felt there was no need to monitor air quality and for people to follow existing public health advice. All agencies and local authorities remain in regular contact to monitor and review the situation.
The cause of the fire is under investigation by Kent Fire and Rescue Service (KFRS) and Kent Police.
For updates, and to sign up to receive updates via email, please visit our website www.kent.fire-uk.org
Advice from Public Health England:
If symptoms persist seek medical advice by calling NHS 111 or by contacting your General Practitioner (GP). If a medical consultant is already treating an existing health condition, discuss your concerns and symptoms with them. In the case of an emergency call 999.