Car boneyard ablaze again

By TIM HOWARD

For the second time in six months fire brigades and emergency services personnel attended a car boneyard at Trenayr, near Grafton, to put out a fire

The second fire on April 26, which was contained to just 20 cars, was a pale reminder of the blaze on November 29 last year, which burnt through an estimated 1500 wrecks and sent a plume of smoke so toxic into the air authorities warned people in Grafton to stay indoors.

But it was serious enough for Fire and Rescue NSW and the Rural Fire Service to scramble a Hazmat team from Goonellabah and the NSW Ambulance Service kept a vehicle and paramedics on site during the operation.

The Fire and Rescue NSW incident controller at the scene, Inspector Price Conlan, said the blaze had begun during the morning of and by 1pm the fire had been suppressed.

He said Fire and Rescue NSW and RFS personnel had been using an excavator to pull vehicle carcases out of the fire zone to allow fire crews to wet them down.

“Wetting these down has enable us to suppress the flames,” he said.

Insp Conlan said police had attended the scene earlier, but did not stay long.

“I wasn’t at the last fire, so I don’t know any more than what I read in the media about it,” he said.

“I can’t say whether this fire was connected or if they had any suspicions.”

He said Fire and

Rescue teams from Grafton and South Grafton attended as well as the Hazmat team.

Ulmarra, Lawrence and Southampton RFS crews also attended.

The RFS took over the site from 1pm. Tankers did shuttle runs to a nearby refilling site so they could continue to pour water onto the smouldering pile of car wrecks.

Police said they had not linked the latest blaze to the fire in November, but the investigation into that blaze was ongoing.

“As usual, anyone with information should get in contact with their local police or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000,” a police spokesperson said.