Experts are today assessing the damage caused by a fire at Shorts aircraft factory in Northern Ireland.
A total of 85 firefighters and 20 appliances brought the early morning fire under control as roads were temporarily closed near the site in east Belfast.
Chemical specialists from the firm’s parent company, Bombardier Aerospace, were called in after fire officers became concerned at how the blaze might affect materials in the premises. The facility is used to clean metal components before they go to assembly lines.
The fire is located within the main factory complex off Airport road near Belfast harbour and Belfast City airport.
There is no confirmation yet of what caused the fire and no reports of injuries.
The Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) said the alarm was raised at 8.22am and that crews arriving at the scene were faced by a rapidly developing fire.
“This incident was complicated by the presence of a number of chemicals which only become a major concern when they are involved in fire,” said a fire service spokesman.
“Bombardier have provided six chemical specialists who are providing advice and working closely with NIFRS to bring this incident to a successful conclusion.”
Bombardier said this evening an inspection had shown that the damage caused was not substantial and would not affect production.
"The area concerned was not operational as it is undergoing re-equipping, and no employees were working in the area at the time," the company said. "There appears to be no structural damage to the facility and we do not expect there to be any impact on our production process."
PA