Date: May 13, 2020
Location: Studley, Calne (UK)
Address: The Sawmills, SN11 9NH
Type: Dust Fire
Fuel: Wood Dust
Industry: Sawmill (Wood and Wood Products)
Equipment: Dust Collector
Company: Vastern Timber
Database Incidents: None Recorded
Loss: No Injuries
Capital Cost: Unknown
Status: Open
Confirmation: Unconfirmed
Company Description:
According to the company’s website, Vastern Timber is a sawmill and manufacturer of oak beams, timber cladding and hardwood flooring. It specializes in British-grown timbers, including English oak, sweet chestnut, ash, sycamore and larch. The company is based in Wiltshire, employs 50 people, and operates two sites at Wootton Bassett and Calne, where it processes upwards of 9000 M3 of logs per year.
Incident Description:
On May 13, 2020, the Gazette & Herald reported a fire at a sawmill in Studley, near Calne in the UK.
A total of 13 fire crews responded soon after being called in just after 10:00 a.m. They used water carriers and a high rise ladder to fight the flames while the police used drones to get pictures from the air. Local residents were asked to keep their windows closed because of the amount of smoke.
According to TTJ, the fire was caused by an issue with the dust collector and spread to a storage unit. The company had partly resumed limited operations after being closed for several weeks due to the coronavirus crisis.
No injuries were reported, but the dust collector and part of the manufacturing yard roof were damaged.
Sources:
Gazette & Herald
TTJ
