Ringaskiddy residents call for publication of emergency plan following large fire
Firefighters are expected to remain at the Port compound for several hours as they continue to dampen down the flames at the R&H Hall grain storage facility.
Residents living close to the scene of this morning’s large blaze at the Port of Cork’s deepwater facility in Ringaskiddy have called for improved communications and the publication of an emergency plan for the area.
The call from the Ringaskiddy and District Residents Association comes as emergency services continue to monitor the fire, and advise people living nearby to remain indoors, with doors and windows closed.
Firefighters are expected to remain at the Port compound for several hours as they continue to dampen down the flames at the R&H Hall grain storage facility.
The blaze is under control but pockets of flame are still burning in the animal feed storage sheds, generating large smoke plumes.
There is no asbestos in the building, residents have been told.
Braham Brennan, chairman of the Ringaskiddy and District Residents Association, criticised the lack of information coming from the various authorities at the peak of the emergency earlier.
He said locals had to rely on personal contacts, rather than on any formal communication channels or system, to find out what was going on.
“We have been looking for a safety plan for the area for years, and we still don’t have it. If the wind had been blowing down the village, we would have been in serious trouble this morning,” he said.
In a statement this afternoon, the residents’ association said while people are relieved that no-one was hurt, the community remains concerned about potential toxins in the air, and about communications to the public in the initial stages of the emergency.
“Lack of communication played a significant role in the early stages of this event, where residents had to make calls to Port of Cork operations with their concerns for their own safety,” it said.
“Ringaskiddy Residents’ Association immediately advised residents to remain indoors and keep doors and windows closed until it was determined what was burning and if it was safe to remain in the area - eventually Port of Cork advised the same.”
The association said it was reported by some media outlets that a major emergency plan had been activated and the area was being evacuated, but this was not communicated to the resident’s association or village residents.
“The association is not in receipt of any emergency plan for the area despite a previous request for one from Cork County Council and having a number of pharmaceutical plants, including SEVESO sites, in the area,” it said.
“The only emergency plan that the residents are aware of is to stay in, close your doors and windows, and hide under your bed.
“The residents of Cork Lower Harbour, including Ringaskiddy, have for many years fought the plans of locating an incinerator in the area, and it is for this very reason that it should not be located here due to the proximity to the village, and the Irish Naval Base, and with such a potential for a similar or worse event to occur.
“It is now time for Cork County Council and all industry stakeholders to produce an emergency plan for the area that is transparent and available to all residents in order to be prepared should future accidents/incidents occur."
Residents living close to the Port of Cork’s deepwater facility in Ringaskiddy have been advised to remain indoors, and keep windows and doors closed, for a few more hours as firefighters continue to deal with a large fire in a grain storage facility.
While the blaze at the R&H Hall storage complex is under control, it is still burning and generating large smoke plumes.
Fire officers are understood to have taken a decision to extinguish the blaze rather than let the fire burn itself out.
But residents living nearby have been told that the wind direction has changed and that there will be a lot more smoke over the coming hours.
The fire broke out in a building used for the storage of animal feed earlier this morning. The alarm was raised just before 8.45am.
It is animal feed which is burning, and there is no asbestos in the building, residents have been told.
Braham Brennan, chairman of the Ringaskiddy and District Residents Association, criticised the lack of information from the various authorities earlier as the emergency was unfolding.
He said they had to rely on personal contacts, rather than on any formal communication channels or systems, to find out what was going on.
“We have been looking for a safety plan for the area for years, and we still don’t have it,” he said.
“If the wind had been blowing down the village, we would have been in serious trouble this morning.”
The Health and Safety Authority has been notified of the incident, and it and the gardaí are expected to launch an investigation to establish the cause of the blaze once the scene has been declared safe.
The massive fire at the Port of Cork Ringaskiddy deepwater berth has been brought under control.
The Port company said there are no reports of any casualties and that firefighters will remain on site for the coming hours to monitor the area.
The fire broke out at the R&H Hall grain storage facility at the complex earlier, and the alarm was raised after 8am.
It sent a giant plume of smoke soaring into the sky. It was visible up to 20km away.
Local residents were advised to close the windows and doors of their homes, and to remain indoors, as fire crews from Carrigaline, Crosshaven and Cork city rushed to the scene.
They brought the blaze under control within two hours.
The Port of Cork said that as a precaution, all ship operations in Ringaskiddy have been suspended until further notice.
The Port of Cork has activated its major emergency plan as firefighters tackle a huge blaze which has broken out in a grains store at its deep water port in Cork Harbour.
Several units of Cork County Fire Service, as well as fire crews from the Port’s harbour master’s office, are on the scene.
The fire broke out earlier in a large R&H silo used for the storage of animal feed.
A huge plume of smoke is visible in the area and local residents have been advised to close their windows until the blaze has been brought under control.
There are no reports of any injuries at this stage.
In a statement, the Port of Cork said that emergency services are on site and confirmed the Port Emergency Plan has been activated.
They advised residents to remain indoors and keep all doors and windows closed.
The local Residents Association has also advised people in the area to keep doors and windows closed.
AA Roadwatch is warning motorists to take care as smoke may be affecting visibility.
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