A chemical fire broke out on a visiting grain vessel at Port Taranaki in New Zealand on Thursday morning, prompting an early emergency response. Eight crew members were checked at the scene.

Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ) was alerted about the incident at approximately 5:30am. Three crews from New Plymouth, one from New Plymouth West, one from Ōakura, and four specialist support vehicles were dispatched to contain the fire.

On arrival, firefighters discovered that a 40kg drum containing aluminium phosphide, used in fumigant sleeves to control pests in the vessel’s hold, had caught fire.

The fire was extinguished and the hazardous substance stabilised by shortly after 8am. Firefighters then carried out decontamination of the drum due to caustic fumes released during combustion.

Hato Hone St John, a Charitable organisation providing ambulance and healthcare services, confirmed that ambulance officers assessed eight crew members at the scene, with no one requiring hospital transport.

Port Taranaki chief operating officer Alex Park said investigations were ongoing, but initial findings suggested that the drum may have been damp, which can cause the fumigant sleeves to heat up and combust.

Park confirmed that the fire was contained to the drum and that there was no damage to port infrastructure or ship. Operations on Moturoa Wharf were temporarily suspended during the incident but fully resumed by 9am.

References: thepost, nzherald