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Conveyor blamed for Port Kembla ship blaze

A conveyor has been identified as the most likely source of a major fire onboard a ship berthed at Port Kembla this week.

According to multiple reports, a fire was detected early on Monday morning on the Iron Chieftan, which was unloading dolomite at Bluescope’s berth 113.

Firefighters have controlled the blaze, but continue to contain and monitor the site, saying on Tuesday night there was a still fire in the ship’s hold.

“It looks like the fire actually started on the conveyor belt itself,” Fire and Rescue NSW assistant commissioner Paul McGuiggan was quoted as saying by the Illawarra Mercury.

“You can imagine the bearings and things around there – and that has actually transferred into the product.”

According to reports, there was around a 12,000 cubic metre pile of dolomite in the hold when the fire began.

“It’s going to take some while for the [fire fighting foam] to actually seep down through and get into the lower parts, the bilge parts of the ship. It’s extremely hazardous conditions. For the fire to actually get involved in that product [dolomite] it would have taken a fair amount of burning.”

Fire and Rescue NSW said on Twitter its crews continued to fight the fire from the ship’s deck, and from the wharf, as late as 4pm on Tuesday.

It said 80 firefighters were on the scene throughout the operation, and three aerial appliances were used.

“What crews have been able to do is actually get onto the deck part of the ship and at various times were able to get into … parts of the hold,” McGuiggan was quoted as saying.

“That has proven a challenge because in the lower part of the ship [there] is enough space for about one person, and the water level sits up around your knees, so it’s not a very safe environment to put anyone.”

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