South Wales Fire and Rescue Service has issued an update following a fire on board a large ship at Cardiff Docks yesterday.
Firefighters were called to Queen Alexandra Docks after a blaze broke out involving scrap metal in the hold of a vessel carrying approximately 20,000 tonnes of material.
Crews, appliances and specialist resources were deployed to tackle the fire, including rescue tenders, an aerial hydraulic platform, a boat, a firefighting tug and a drone.
All members of the ship’s crew were accounted for and confirmed safe.
The fire service said there was no immediate risk to the public. However, the firefighting tactics used at the scene had the potential to cause intermittent releases of significant amounts of smoke.
Areas that could have been affected included Cardiff Bay, Cardiff city centre and Penarth.
Public Health Wales advised anyone living or working in affected areas to keep their windows and doors closed. Once the smoke had cleared and it was safe to do so, people were advised to open windows and doors to cool their homes and improve ventilation.
Anyone feeling unwell was advised to seek medical advice from NHS 111 or their GP, particularly if their symptoms worsened. In an emergency, people should call 999.
South Wales Fire and Rescue Service also asked members of the public not to fly drones over the incident, as this could have affected operations and the safety of emergency responders.
An ABP spokesperson said: “Associated British Ports, the owners and operators of the Port of Cardiff, is continuing to support the emergency response to a fire involving scrap metal in the hold of the vessel at the port.
“We are working closely with South Wales Fire and Rescue Service and other partner agencies as they manage the incident. We encourage people to follow the advice of the emergency services and avoid the area while operations remain ongoing.”
