Faulty auger could be cause of Manildra silo fire

Multiple Fire and Rescue NSW crews were called to the site around 8.20pm on Tuesday, February 16.

Fire crews were activated through an automatic fire alarm, with crews from Shoalhaven and Nowra initially responding to the complex.

They were soon joined by units from Kiama, Berry and the Hazmat Unit at Shellharbour.

Duty Commander Inspector Rick Jones said when crews first arrived smoke was seen "issuing from the top of the 20 tonne silo".

"The emergency hatches on top of the silo had already opened prior to our arrival," Insp. Jones said.

"The silo was about 12 metres high and four metres in diameter."

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Insp. Jones said with the help of Manildra's on-site fire team, crews were able to gain technical advice to tackle the fire.

"Thankfully the silo only had about one and a half tonnes of product inside," he said.

It is understood the silo contained milled grain.

The Manildra Group is Australia's leading producer of ethanol which along with other products is produced at the Bomaderry plant.

Fire crews used two hoses to extinguish the fire.

At one stage crews battle the fire from on top of the silo and at ground level.

"Crews also pulled apart the mechanism to allow the grain to be released," Insp. Jones said.

"That allowed for easier extinguishing."

Fire crews managed the run off water from the incident so no possible environmental contamination could occur.

The water was boomed into an empty drain and into an onsite retention pit to ensure any run off was contained within the complex and could not impact on the nearby Bomaderry and Abernathy creeks which eventually flow into the Shoalhaven River.

Insp. Jone said at this stage it is thought a "faulty auger" could be the cause of the fire.

There were no injuries reported during the incident.

Fire crew contained the fire and left the scene just after 11pm.

Just last week members of both Nowra and Berry Fire and Rescue NSW Stations spent an evening at the Manildra Complex undertaking a training exercise focusing on bulk storage and silo incidents.