Kwinana warehouse fire: HAZMAT warning cleared at Nutrien Ag Solutions after toxic blaze

The HAZMAT warning issued after a fire incinerated a warehouse in Kwinana and sent thick plumes of black smoke across several suburbs has been cleared by emergency services.

The warning was sparked about 1.30pm on Friday after a Nutrien Ag Solutions storage facility went up in flames in the industrial area off Port Road, near the Kwinana Bulk Jetty.

More than 50 firefighters were sent to battle the flames — some reaching as high as 3m — in the 42C heat, but the bigger problem soon became the black plume of toxic smoke that blanketed surrounding areas.

By Saturday afternoon the Department of Fire and Emergency Services had removed the warning, advising the blaze had been completely extinguished and the toxic smoke cleared.

The Department of Water, Environment and Regulation also confirmed air quality had returned to normal readings following environmental testing and monitoring on Saturday.

DFES Superintendent David Gill told reporters on Saturday that the toxic smoke in the atmosphere, which contained significant amounts of sulphur, had cleared by about 4am.

He said multiple agencies would continue to monitor the situation.

“Sulphur was one of the products that was burning and as well as sulphur, there were some nutrient products, things like general fertilisers,” he said.