A major incident was declared after a fire broke out at the Impala terminal in Milford Haven on Monday evening, sending a large plume of black smoke over the town.
Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service was called at 5.11pm on Monday 6 July to reports of a fire at Impala Terminals Infrastructure UK Ltd, at Robeston West.
Crews from Milford Haven, Haverfordwest and Pembroke Dock were sent to the scene, where thick black smoke was visible for miles around.
The fire service said the blaze involved a decommissioned oil tank and around 60 gas cylinders. “The fire involves a decommissioned oil tank containing residual crude oil and approximately 60 cylinders including a mixture of propane and oxygen cylinders,” a spokeswoman said.
A major incident was declared but was later rescinded as crews brought the situation under control. All persons at the site were accounted for.
Dyfed-Powys Police received reports of the fire at around 5.10pm. A spokesperson said officers “attended swiftly, working alongside emergency service partners as part of a coordinated multi-agency response.”
One casualty was reported, believed to have suffered minor injuries, and received care at the scene. The Welsh Ambulance Service sent resources to support the response but was not required to take any patients to hospital.
Pembrokeshire County Council emergency planning officers joined the multi-agency response, while the council’s highways staff helped emergency crews with road closures around the Impala facility. Those roads have since reopened.
Residents in the immediate area were advised to keep windows and doors closed while thick smoke lingered, and the public was asked to avoid the area to allow access for emergency vehicles.
The fire service said there was not believed to be a wider risk to the public. Crews left the scene late on Monday after the fire was extinguished, a spokeswoman confirmed on Tuesday morning.
In a statement, Impala Terminals confirmed an incident had occurred at its Milford Haven terminal at 5.10pm on Monday. “The site emergency team and emergency services are managing our response to the emergency,” the operator said, adding that all employees and contractors were accounted for.
The company said its “first priority is to protect the safety of our people, the surrounding community and the environment,” and that it was not able to confirm further details at this stage.
The Impala terminal, formerly the Puma Energy site, sits at a former oil refinery and is used to store and distribute petroleum and hydrocarbon products.
It is also the intended location for a new green energy scheme. The site is earmarked for a £50m green hydrogen production facility that developers say could create up to 70 local jobs, with a hydrogen pipeline linked to the project approved by planners earlier this year.
Monday’s blaze was the second serious industrial fire in the region in a matter of weeks. In June, a fire at the Tata Steel works in Port Talbot prompted reassurances from the company over supply and its £1.25bn furnace project.
The fire service said further updates would be provided as information became available.
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