Production has resumed, albeit temporarily, at Amcor's recycled paper mill in Fairfield, Victoria, after 50 firefighters were called to the site earlier this week to extinguish a fire in a 100-metre long paper machine at the facility.
An Amcor spokesperson told PKN that the plant, which is scheduled to close on 21 December this year, was up and running again the following day despite the fire reaching the roof of the building.
Fire crews were called to the site, on Heidelberg Road, soon after 6:30pm on 2 December. They arrived to find the fire had spread upwards from its source on the facility's first floor, despite 115 sprinkler heads protecting the machine.
The crews were assisted in their fight against the blaze by Amcor's own on-site fire team.
Metropolitan Fire Brigade (MFB) Commander Frank Besanko was quoted as saying the fire was not suspicious and was likely caused by an electrical fault, possibly in one of the machine's heat processing units.
"Additional firefighting appliances were despatched immediately and crews were quickly on scene finding a large fire in a roll papermaking machine on the first floor," the MFB said.
"Significant damage has occurred to the machinery with some damage to the roof space. MFB crews remained on scene throughout the night to continue fire duties."
Amcor told PKN, however, the fire caused little disruption to operations.
“Amcor confirms that no co-workers were injured in the fire at the Fairfield paper mill,” Amcor's spokesperson said.
“There is no damage to the paper machine and only minimal damage to the building which will be repaired.”
The paper machine recommenced production at 3pm the day following the blaze.
The Fairfield mill began operation in 1921. It currently operates a 1967 paper making machine, dubbed 'F6', denoting it was the sixth such machine on the site.
In 2008, Amcor announced it would shut the plant to make way for the establishment of a new mill in Botany, Sydney.
The Botany mill will operate a new recycled paper making machine, the 'B9', which, at 330-metres long and a cost of approximately $500 million, represents the largest single capital investment made by the company in its 144-year history (PKN, November/December 2012, p.24).
Amcor's soon-to-be-closed recycled paper plant in Fairfield, Victoria, is now back in operation after a fire.
