Chemical drums catches alight

Chemicals stored in drums caught alight in a blaze at a boatyard in Cornwall this morning (6th December).

Five fire engines were called to the site in Penryn after four drums believed to contain phosgene, a gas used in weapons during World War I and now by pharmaceutical companies, caught fire.

The drums have since been dampened down and 30 nearby residents have been moved as a precaution. Police officers have also cordoned off the area around the boatyard in Islington Wharf.

A spokesman for the council said: "The fire is under control and a 100 metre cordon has been erected around the site as a precautionary measure.

"So far 30 local residents have been evacuated from the scene and a rest centre is being set up in the local area."

Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, a 'suitable and sufficient' fire risk assessment must be conducted on all commercial properties in England and Wales. If the fire risk assessment is deemed to be carried out to an insufficient extent, the Responsible Person can face an unlimited fine or a prison sentence of up to two years.