Hazardous materials warning after Dardanup Cleanaway blaze

A hazardous materials warning has been issued for Crooked Brook following a blaze at Cleanaway’s Banksia Road Landfill Site in the Shire of Dardanup on Monday night.

Dardanup shire volunteer bushfire brigades were called to attend about 7.30pm following a report from the public.

A smoke alert was issued for Dardanup at the time.

Dardanup shire president Mick Bennett said brigades handed control of the site back to Cleanaway about 9pm, but the fire intensity increased and returned at 3am Tuesday morning.

A smoke alert was then issued for the City of Bunbury as well and a hazardous materials warning was issued for Crooked Brook in the Shire of Dardanup.

The incident marks the third Cleanaway facility to catch fire in as many months.

The company’s Perth Material Recovery Facility has been out of operation since November when a fire tore through the facility causing extensive damage.

And earlier this month toxic smoke clouds ballooned from the Kwinana-based recycling plant after a fire began at the facility in the early hours of the morning.

Mr Bennett said council staff referred the Dardanup incident to the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation for air monitoring and its officers were on site.

On Tuesday morning, he said Dardanup shire chief bushfire control officer Chris Hynes handed management of the fire to the Department of Fire and Emergency Services.

Mr Bennett said council staff were “liaising with DWER who are the experts in managing incidents like this,” and he was anticipating further updates in relation to the impact of the fire on air quality.