Evacuated residents near Ocado fulfilment centre allowed home
Residents near Ocado’s Andover fulfilment centre have been allowed to go home after being evacuated last night because of the fire at the site.
Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service said on Thursday morning that the evacuation area around the site had been lifted.
HFRS group manager Nigel Cooper said: “We are pleased to have been able to safely remove the chemicals from the site throughout the night and into the early hours of this morning, meaning we can lift the evacuation zone. It is thanks to the efforts of all our teams, on the ground and elsewhere, that we managed to contain the incident when it unexpectedly escalated late yesterday afternoon.”
The fire broke out at the robotic fulfilment centre on Tuesday and more than 200 fire-fighters were called to the scene.
HFRS said fire crews from neighbouring services were dispatched “to provide support for what was a challenging and complex incident”.
“Our teams, and colleagues from Oxfordshire, Dorset & Wiltshire, Royal Berkshire and Hertfordshire have shown commitment and professionalism in dealing with a complex operation in incredibly challenging circumstances,” said Cooper.