Workplace inferno will burn for days: Fire inspector

Staff can do nothing but watch as a raging fire tears through 100 tonnes of cardboard, turning their Sunshine Coast workplace into an inferno which will burn for days.

STAFF can do nothing but watch as a raging fire tears through 100 tonnes of cardboard, turning their Coolum workplace into an inferno which will burn for days.

More than 28 firefighters are now on scene and specialist units from Brisbane are on the way to Carters Transport, where a blaze broke out from deep within the storeys-high stacks of pallets and cardboard.

Queensland Fire and Emergency Service Inspector John Pappas said on arrival, employees were attempting to extinguish the fire and protect assets at the Quanda Rd freight business.

The North Coast Region inspector said they greatly assisted firefighters in protecting structures, but all staff had since been evacuated, were accounted for and assessed by paramedics to ensure they were not affected by the heat.

Firefighters battle a fire expected to burn for days after it ignited within about 100 tonnes of compressed cardboard at Carters Transport in the Coolum industrial estate.

He said the heat and wind gusts meant the fire had "moved along quite freely" and that officers were employing firefighting tactics to conserve water.

"Water is always an issue with this type of incident as we are trying to pump quite a large amount of water," he said.

 

"At this stage we are using firefighting tactics that will conserve water and water consumption and intend on getting on top of the fire later on today with the resources we have at hand."

Insp Pappas said QFES would investigate the fire, but it would be some time before they determined how it began.

The fire is not being treated as suspicious at this time, and is non-structural.

Queensland Fire and Emergency Services Inspector John Pappas said crews are conserving water as they battle a blaze expected to burn for days on site at Carters Transport, Coolum.

Rural Fire Services trucks lined the neighbouring paddocks as a pre-emptive strike on any further spot fires after one broke out in nearby grassland after the main fire broke out about noon.

Insp Pappas said the specialist auxiliaries from Brisbane were due to arrive before 2.30pm and had compressed foam at their disposal which specifically deals with deep-seeded fires.

"At this stage it looks like the fire has been limited to the compressed cardboard, some crates and some shipping containers which are storing some materials," he said.

Firefighters battle a fire expected to burn for days after it ignited within about 100 tonnes of compressed cardboard at Carters Transport in the Coolum industrial estate.

"The fire has not spread into the building area and we intend on keeping it that way."

He said no neighbouring businesses or residences had been evacuated, but he asked anyone nearby to stay out of the smoke and be aware of the fire.

Carters Transport specialise in a daily freight service between the Sunshine Coast and Brisbane, and regularly service north Queensland and interstate.

Equipment includes B-Doubles, Drop Decks and Moffett Forklifts, many of which were on site but not ablaze as the fire burnt nearby.