Nightshift workers were evacuated after a member of staff raised the fire alarm. The fire started in a cupboard, and was nowhere near production lines, claimed Lightbody – which is part of the Finsbury Food Group.
Fire crews from Hamilton and Coatbridge, Scotland attacked the blaze, and the cause of the fire was currently under investigation, said a spokesman for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Services.
“At 3.52am on Monday [November 28], the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service attended a fire at a food manufacturing plant on Bothwell Road, Hamilton,” said the spokesman. “The alert was raised by a member of staff who noticed smoke.
Powerful water jets
“Crews tackled the blaze with powerful water jets. The building had already been evacuated – there were no casualties. After ensuring the area had been made safe, firefighters left the scene at around 4pm.”
Lightbody – which makes celebration cakes under licenses from Disney, Universal, Weight Watchers and Thorntons – said the “small” fire was quickly brought under control. The blaze didn’t disrupt food production, it claimed.
A Lightbody spokeswoman said: “We can confirm that at 4am on Monday a small fire broke out at the group’s Hamilton site, which was quickly brought under control.
“The fire was contained to the immediate area around the hygiene store and no employees were injured. This is not an area where production takes place and, as a result, the fire did not affect or disrupt food production areas.”
Lightbody’s top priority
The safety and wellbeing of staff is Lightbody’s top priority, the cake maker claimed. It had a number of “robust systems of processes and alert systems” to ensure staff safety.
“At the time of the incident the site’s fire alarm systems immediately activated and business contingency systems worked as planned,” the Lightbody spokeswoman said.
“All of the company’s fire and safety systems are regularly tested to ensure they meet the highest standards, and are independently verified.”
Meanwhile, the blaze at a food processing plant in Bradford was confirmed as an arson attack last month. Six fire engines and one aerial platform were needed to put out the fire at fast food chain Mahmoods’ processing facility.
Lightbody factory fire – at a glance
- Staff raised fire alarm after noticing smoke
- Fire crew called to factory at 3.52am on November 28.
- Investigation ongoing