The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and Police Scotland were alerted to the explosion and the fire which broke out at Rockwell Solutions in Dundee just after 6:30pm on Monday (March 13).
Up to 27 fire fighters and six appliances attended the blaze from Macalpine Road, Blackness Road and Balmossie fire stations.
Emergency services cordoned off the area to ensure no members of the public were put at risk while they dealt with the fire. The building had been safely evacuated before the emergency services arrived.
A fire service spokesman said: “Upon arrival crews discovered a fire affecting a large industrial unit. It was eventually brought under control at around 8pm. No casualties were reported and crews left the scene after ensuring the safety of the public.
‘Joint investigation’
“A joint investigation into the cause of the fire will be carried out in due course.”
There was a risk of the fire igniting chemicals used in production at the plant, according to Dundee Scottish Fire and Rescue Service group manager Craig Thomson.
“Our first concern was to try to stop the fire spreading into the building. We needed to keep the tanks and other chemical containers cool,” he told local publication The Evening Telegraph.
“Because of the chemicals we used a wide cordon. There were solvents and the fire could have been quite intense if they had been involved. The fire was extinguished in open air and didn’t affect the main part of the building.”
‘Could have been quite intense’
A police presence remained on site through the night after the fire was extinguished while enquires continued.
Rockwell Solutions produces plastic films for food products, such as fresh meat and food-to-go. The company was not available to comment on the incident.
The fire followed a blaze at a meat processor McKechnie Jess’s factory in Scotland this month (March 8), which closed roads in the area and created traffic chaos for motorists and drivers of heavy goods vehicles.
About 30 firefighters and six appliances from the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service attended the blaze. No casualties were reported.