by Alan Watkins

awatkins@thekmgroup.co.uk

Sixty firefighters and 10 engines were called to battle the flames at a factory in Northfleet last night.

Crews were called to Kimberly-Clark in Crete Hall Road at 9.05pm after reports of fire and smoke.

Firefighters wearing breathing apparatus conducted a search to find the source, which was in the roof above the main mill, as staff were evacuated from the building.

Ten pumps, one height vehicle, a command support unit, an incident command unit and urban search and rescue team were all there at the height of the incident with crews from Thames-side, Dartford, Strood, Swanley, Medway and Rainham.

By 10.50pm, the fire was on all levels of the factory, and sprinklers had been activated. Crews had divided into three teams and used three main jets to tackle the flames.

The fire was surrounded and was out by midnight. The specialist Urban Search and Rescue team then used heavy-duty cutting equipment to remove roof cladding to help them check the site was safe.

The left the scene at 4am.

“We are investigating the cause at the present time,” said a spokesman from the Kent Fire and Rescue Service.

It is not the first fire at the mill. There has been a series of major blazes in the past few years, and several smaller emergencies.

The main plant had to be completely rebuilt after the original Kimberly-Clark plant was completely destroyed in July 2004.