A MARINE signal flare which had been left out with household recycling, caused a fire at the Isle of Wight Council’s waste treatment plant on Forest Road in Newport.
The fire, on Tuesday last week (13), was contained quickly due to the prompt action of the control room supervisor, who spotted the fire on the recycling belt, raised the alarm and deployed its emergency response team.
Nobody was hurt and more serious consequences were averted, an Isle of Wight Council spokesperson said.
The Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service confirmed they were not called out to the incident.
The Explosives Act 1999 requires people to dispose of explosive materiel safely, due to the increased threat of injury — or risk to life — if they are discarded irresponsibly.
“This is why people must not place items containing explosives in household waste, or recycling, under any circumstances," said Natasha Dix, the council’s strategic manager for environment.
"Thankfully, in this instance, neither injury or loss of life occurred, but the plant had to be shut down while responders dealt with the emergency and made it safe to resume operations.
"It could have been so much worse, and could easily have resulted in costly repairs to the Island’s state-of-the-art facility."
Unwanted, damaged or end-of-life flares must be disposed of through service providers, registered and equipped to dispose of them safely.
The Royal Yachting Association and British Marine’s joint environmental programme, The Green Blue, provides details of registered service providers.
Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary no longer accept unwanted, damaged or out-of-date flares, so do not take them to Newport Police Station.
If you are unsure what to do, contact your original supplier who may take them back.
The Coastguard may also be able to advise on local disposal options.
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