Flint paper mill fire brought under control after more than two hours
North Wales FRS reports a successful sprinkler activation which took place on Saturday 23rd May at a major paper manufacturing site in Flint.
The fire occurred at about 15:00 hours on a production line which produces laminated plastic and 
paper within a 50,000m² breeze-block and sheet metal construction building.
A machine was restarted at the start of a shift and a blockage ensued which meant that plastic sheets (part of the process) backed up and were too near a heater which then caused ignition.
The heat from the fire set off 2 sprinkler heads on the wet pipe system in the fully sprinklered premises and the staff assisted to put out the fire with extinguishers. The attending fire crews reported the fire to be OOA (out on arrival).
Only minor damage to the machine was reported with production being resumed later that same day. None of the 25 persons in the building at the time of the fire are reported injured.
Following this incident a new start up technique is to be introduced which has been shared with other parts of the company who have similar process machinery.
