Firefighters are working to prevent an explosion at an electrical plant in the New South Wales Hunter Valley as an unprecedented chemical blaze burns out of control.
Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) crews are at an electrical plant at Tomago near Port Stephens where the facility’s machinery overheated just after 5am on Friday.
Electrical machinery, measuring 14 x 3 metres, overheated from 700 degrees to 1200 degrees, sparking a chemical blaze.
There are concerns the heat build-up is close to hazardous materials like a hydrogen-container.
Three staff members were evacuated from the site which is designed to store heat as a power source.
Emergency services have set up an 800-metre exclusion zone.
“Police have closed roads around the new facility and evacuated 15 neighbouring businesses as a precaution,” FRNSW said.
“It will react with water which has caused FRNSW to set up an exclusion zone,” FRNSW’s Scott Dodson said.
It’s a delicate situation for firefighters as they’re unable to extinguish the blaze with water due to the risk of sparking an explosion.
“If water is introduced it could cause an explosion,” Dodson said.
“We are looking at other extinguishing mediums to cool it down.”
Dodson said firefighters are looking to introduce nitrogen to cool it down.
Specialist crews including the Hazardous Materials unit are at the scene using equipment like an aerial platform and a bulk carbon dioxide tanker.
Crews in breathing apparatus are carrying out heat readings within the warehouse housing the machinery.
The incident isn’t expected to be resolved for hours.
Dodson said the electrical facility is a trial plant in its commissioning phase and firefighters have never seen a blaze like this before.
Tomago Road is closed in both directions between Old Punt Road and McIntrye Road and motorists are advised to avoid the area.
