Fire in Freezing Plant on Hrísey Island

Firefighters in North Iceland are battling a large fire in a freezing plant on Hrísey Island in Eyjafjörður fjord, mbl.is reports. Some houses on the island have been evacuated.

The fire was reported at 5 am. All available firefighters in Hrísey, Dalvík and Akureyri were called out, as well as police and the island’s rescue team. Residents, too, assist in fighting the fire.

A large plume of smoke billows from the plant – as you can see in the picture above. Residents have been asked to close all windows and turn up the heat in their houses to prevent smoke from getting inside.

Shortly after 7 am, Akureyri Fire Chief Ólafur Stefánsson told mbl.is that most houses on the island would have to be evacuated, since the wind direction kept shifting. Presently, a southern breeze carries the plume of smoke away from the village and out to sea.

Ammonia is leaking from the plant, and there is a great deal of pollution in the air.

The fire spread to a nearby building in which salt was stored.

Firefighters and other first responders were transported to the island this morning by the Hrísey ferry Sævar and by the fishing boat Sólrún. The boat was on its way to go fishing this morning, but the crew postponed its plans to be able to be of assistance.

The freezing plant, which employed ten people, was built in 1936.

According to the latest reports, fire fighters are making progress fighting the fire and have been able to prevent it from spreading, with the exception of one industrial building.