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House of Assembly - Fifty-First Parliament, Third Session (51-3)
2009-09-22 Daily Xml
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PGF PLASTICS FIRE

Mr RAU (Enfield) (15:53): Will the Minister for Emergency Services please update the house on the fire that occurred at the PGF Plastics factory at Kilburn?

The Hon. M.J. WRIGHT (Lee—Minister for Police, Minister for Emergency Services, Minister for Recreation, Sport and Racing) (15:53): I thank the honourable member for this question. Of course, the fire was in his electorate and we were in constant contact during what took place. At approximately 6pm on 14 September the South Australian Metropolitan Fire Service (MFS) responded to a structure fire at PGF Plastics in Kilburn. The fire started in a pallet of plastic recyclables, which sparked a major blaze and a smoke plume that was visible across much of metropolitan Adelaide.

At the height of the fire, 90 firefighters and 23 appliances were fully committed, with particular effort being put into the protection of a large on-site LPG tank, adjacent factories and homes. It took about three hours of difficult firefighting and asset protection to bring the blaze under control, and MFS crews remained on the scene until early the following afternoon. At the onset, the MFS, in liaison with South Australia Police, established a 500 metre exclusion zone around the fire and advised all residents within a two kilometre radius to remain indoors with windows and doors closed.

Toxic smoke fumes from the burning plastic posed a potential danger to residents. Fortunately, however, the wind factor was low and smoke billowed directly upwards, taking the toxins with it. Had the wind conditions been different a larger evacuation may have been required.

Given the size of this incident and the potential threat this blaze posed, the Country Fire Service was called in to provide additional assistance. The Country Fire Service had five appliances at the scene and further CFS resources were deployed throughout a number of suburban MFS stations to protect the community throughout the night. Once again, this highlights the close working relationship that our two fire agencies have with each other and their ability to provide a well coordinated and integrated response in times of emergency.

Other agencies involved included the South Australian Ambulance Service, which monitored fire crew health and was on hand to provide advice and assistance to residents; the South Australia Police, who set up a cordon around the affected area and managed vehicle and pedestrian traffic; and the Environment Protection Authority, which provided expert advice and assistance with the environmental impact of the incident. The men and women of our emergency services train extensively to respond to incidents such as this and we must never take what they do for granted. Through their gallant efforts and teamwork, the damage this fire caused was minimal and the community was kept safe. On behalf of the government, I commend all of those who were involved.

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