Fire breaks out on Portland

Firefighters raced to Portland Port after being called by a member of the public just after 11am yesterday morning (6), reporting a blaze in a shipping container.

Hoses, buoys and other items were inside the container and the fire was “substantial,” according to a spokesman for the fire service. The container was gutted by the flames.

Smoke from the fire was seen from miles around, with photos showing black clouds being blown out over the water. 

Picture by Sheila Hunn

Two crews from Weymouth and one from Portland attended, and quickly had the fire under control. 
No one was injured in the incident. 

A spokesman for Portland Port said: “Shortly after 11am on December 6, a container of navigational buoys caught fire on the Peat Bay area of Portland Port.

“The fire service were called and arrived swiftly at the scene. 

“The firefighters controlled the fire very quickly, nobody was hurt, and the fire was restricted to the contents of the container. 

“The port will now undertake a review of the incident to understand the cause of the fire and assess the response to it.”

Picture by Stephen Coombes

Eyewitnesses spoke of how they could see the smoke billowing out of the port on Dock Road. 

Martin Johnson, from Wyke Regis, said: “I was coming across Ferrybridge at around 11.15am when I saw thick black smoke coming from the dockyard. 

“About five or ten minutes later I saw one fire engine heading over followed by a police car and what looked like a riot van. 

“As I got closer I saw another engine from Weymouth go by as well as one from Portland. 

“At about ten to 12 the smoke had died down and it looked like the fire brigade had got there and got it under control.”

Another onlooker, who asked not to be named, said: “We were just coming to the Verne cafe when we saw this black smoke, as if oil was burning.”

Fire crews used hose reels and compressed air foam to extinguish the flames.