Firefighters are dealing with the aftermath of an incident at a tissue manufacturer.
Essity’s paper mill in Prudhoe where a paper machine caught fire late this afternoon.
The blaze was quickly brought under control but as a precaution, they are remaining on site to investigate hot spots in the ducting and prevent any further small fires around the machine.
An Essity spokesman said: “Our employees initially tackled the fire themselves but it became apparent that it was too much for them.
Firefighters were quickly on-site and our 25 staff in that department, and a similar number of contractors, were evacuated.
“Thankfully there were no injuries and we are grateful to the emergency services for their rapid response and ensuring the incident was less serious than it might have been.”
Staff will work through the night clearing up and assessing the full extent of the damage as well as any likely impact on production. Essity has five other mills in the UK so is not expecting any immediate supply issues.
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