Coleraine residents evacuated due to toxic smoke cloud

Residents forced from their homes by toxic black smoke have escaped injury, the North's fire service confirmed today.

An acrid cloud descended on hundreds of homes in Coleraine, Co Derry, after an Armstrong Medical Services warehouse containing medical supplies caught fire last night.

Group Commander Peter O’Reilly said firefighters from across the North attended the Wattstown Business Park incident.

He said: “Smoke in large volumes was drifting over local housing estates and we were concerned that this would cause panic.

“There were 600 homes evacuated and people were cared for in local hotels and other establishments. We are not aware of any injuries to the public or firefighters.”

Mr O’Reilly said 15 appliances and around 80 firemen from as far away as Belfast, Lisburn and Derry had been summoned and added that crews were still at the scene damping down pockets of fire.

They managed to save 50% of the complex but a large warehouse containing plastic medical supplies, including those used in operations, was destroyed.

The fire was discovered by an employee who called the fire service.

“Every fire give off toxic smoke. Because of the plastic, it gave off large volumes of smoke,” Mr O'Reilly added.

There were around 20 people in the plant at the time and Mr O’Reilly said some of the site’s 70 jobs could be put at risk.

There were reports that the smoke was drifting as far as Kilrea, 15 miles away. It could be seen as far away as Lough Neagh.

Homeowners in the nearby Windy Hall estate were worst-affected.