Carrington silo fire contained as crews face prolonged operation

fire-and-rescue-drone-carrington-grain-fire — Fire & Rescue teams use a thermal imaging drone to monitor the fire inside the silo, this keeps firefighters safe.

graincorp-fire-main — Image of the GrainCorp Silo Fire (Image: Fi Llewellyn)

newy.com.au – A fire at the GrainCorp grain terminal in Carrington has been contained to the silo where it began, but firefighters expect the operation to continue overnight and well into Monday.

Emergency services were called to the Denison Street site just after 5pm following reports of a fire inside one of the silos. The ignition source and cause remain unknown.

Fire and Rescue NSW deployed 11 trucks and 33 firefighters, including a specialist drone operator and two commanders. Crews used a drone to inspect the silo and locate heat while firefighters worked inside the facility.

Although the fire has been contained, authorities said fully extinguishing it would be a slow and complex process. A smoke plume remained visible around midnight because of the silo’s exhaust system, which Fire and Rescue NSW said was operating correctly.

The incident prompted concern among Carrington residents, but firefighters assured the community it was safe. Fire and Rescue NSW said there was no identified explosion risk to people or other facilities in the immediate area.

Operations at the terminal have been paused, with an assessment to determine whether the business can resume work on Monday.

Fire & Rescue NSW drone teams are currently using infrared cameras to monitor changing conditions through the silo walls and illuminate the area from above, allowing data to be gathered without exposing firefighters to danger inside or around the building.

Police initially closed Denison Street at Cowper Street before moving the closure to Smart Street. People have been asked to avoid the immediate area while emergency crews continue their work.

The GrainCorp Newcastle Grain Terminal at 150 Denison Street, Carrington handles grain types including wheat, barley, sorghum, chickpeas and canola.

The Carrington GrainCorp terminal has experienced several fires in the past. In September 2022, a fire believed to have started in a dust-extraction system prompted a 600-metre exclusion zone and the evacuation of about 30 residents. No injuries were reported, no grain stock was affected, and crews remained at the scene for more than 24 hours.

Another fire involving a dust collector attached to a silo occurred on 6 October 2022, leading to the evacuation of approximately 75 people, with no injuries reported.

And in October 2017, firefighters also responded to a fire involving a grain conveyor belt or gantry at the terminal.