Eight fire crews tackle fire at Kemet, Granby Industrial Estate, Weymouth

The fire starting earlier this morning in the 'electrical installation' in Kemet in Oxford Court, on Cambridge Road, Weymouth.

At the height of the fire eight pumps from Weymouth, Bridport, Dorchester, Maiden Newton and Portland were on the scene. Firefighters wearing breathing apparatus and using seven smaller jets and four large jets, as well as the aerial ladder platform, tackled the fire.

The Red Cross also went to the scene.

Crews are still on the scene inspecting the building and engineers from Scottish and Southern Electricity arrived at 8.01am to investigate the fire.

Speaking to the Echo at the scene, one of the incident commanders, Charlie Pack said: "At 5.41am three appliances were called to Kemet, on arrival smoke was found to be issuing from the roof area. At the height of the fire eight fire engines were in attendance, which is roughly 40 firefighters.

"They extinguished a moderate fire in the ground floor area involving an electrical installation.

"An ammonia cylinder was removed from the property."

He added that good fire protection in the building had 'stopped the spread of the fire to the whole interior.'

He said: "The integrity of the fire protection was maintained. It significantly reduced the fire spread."

The fire was brought under control by 7am.

Mr Pack praised the fire teams, he said: "The initial crews from Weymouth really made the difference between this escalating or being kept to a moderate level."

Mr Pack issued a safety message to all commercial properties to ensure their fire risk assessments were up to date and staff were trained in what to do in case of fire. This involves an assessment of the building, having fire spread protection, testing fire alarms and fire extinguishers.

He said: "All these things contribute to stopping a small fire from becoming bigger.

"On this occasion these things were in place, that's why the outcome is not as significant as it could have been."