Invergordon fire: Fire crews work overnight to tackle blaze at Highlands factory

Firefighters are tackling a huge blaze at a combined heat and power plant in the Highlands.

Emergency services were first called to the fire at Balcas Energy’s combined heat and power site in Invergordon around 2.58pm on Wednesday.

Firefighters work overnight to tackle huge blaze at combined heat and power plant in Invergordon. | Johnston Press

There were nine fire engines and two specialist units sent to the scene at the height of the fire, some from around the Highlands, with crews continuing to battle the blaze overnight.

Three fire engines remained at the scene on Thursday morning, as firefighters continued to work.

According to Balcas Energy’s website, the Invergordon site is home to a 34 megawatt boiler alongside a pellet plant. The plant produces 120,000 tonnes of premium wood pellets annually as well as 8.6 megawatts of electricity.

A Scottish Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson said: “We were alerted at 2.58pm on Wednesday, 14 May, to reports of a building fire at Cromarty Firth Industrial Estate, Inverbreakie Industrial Estate, Invergordon.

“At its height, Operations Control mobilised nine fire appliances and specialist resources and firefighters worked to extinguish the fire.

“Three appliances and specialist resources remain at the scene.”

Balcas Energy investigating the cause of the fire

A Balcas Energy spokesperson said the company was “immensely grateful” to the crews tackling the fire.

The spokesperson said: “We are immensely grateful to the fire crews from Invergordon and other nearby stations for their swift and professional response to the incident this afternoon at Balcas. We also want to express our appreciation for the quick thinking and support of our own team throughout the situation, which helped ensure the safety of all personnel.”

The spokesperson said Balcas Energy had launched an investigation into the cause of the fire.

“An investigation into the cause of the incident is now underway, and it may take some time before we have a definitive outcome,” the spokesperson said.

“Our on-site team is working diligently to return all operations to normal, and we do not anticipate any impact on customer deliveries, as we have contingency stocks in place and our second production facility in Enniskillen is fully operational.”

Police Scotland has been contacted for comment.