Steelworks firefighters feared further blazes

Fire crews battling the blaze at Port Talbot steelworks feared a series of devastating secondary fires would whip through the plant, it was revealed today.

Up to 80 firefighters and officers were at the scene last night when the raging fire was at its most ferocious.

But as plumes of flame rose up to 100ft in the air and thick smoke filled the night sky, special teams were assessing the risk of further fires breaking out.

Arwel Fowler, Assistant Chief Fire Officer with the Mid and West Wales Fire Brigade, said the risk of secondary fires was ever present.

‘‘We remained here on site throughout the evening, given that there was always the possibility of secondary fires occurring,’’ he said.

‘‘Thankfully that is something we did not have to contend with.

‘‘It was an unknown quantity and we had to treat the situation very carefully.

‘‘Given that there had been a massive explosion the risk was real.

‘‘The explosion fractured an oil line which could in itself have created secondary fires.

‘‘There was also nitrogen gas and other gases present and we had to establish that each of the gases which could ignite had been isolated.

‘‘You have to remember the furnace itself contained a large quantity of molten metal which could possibly have reacted if the conditions had been favourable.

‘‘We treated it as a potential situation in which had anything happened we would have to have reacted immediately.

‘‘But our priority also had to be the safety of our crews in the situation they were in.’’