Allied Recycling: 'business as usual' despite devastating Clonmellon fire
Paul Hughes
It's business as usual at Allied Recycling, despite a devastating fire which reduced its flagship facility to ashes last night.
Firefighters from Castlepollard, Oldcastle, Mullingar and Kells took seven hours to battle the blaze, which was reported at 7pm on Thursday night.
The devastation at Allied's Clonmellon Industrial Estate depot - which is still smouldering this morning - is total, but no injuries were reported, and the company is pressing ahead with its collections.
A temporary phone service has been put in place by the firm, which also operates out of a unit in Naas Industrial Estate. 'Please be patient, and queries will be dealt with as quickly as possible,' Allied said in a statement on Facebook today.
Gardaí are still at the scene in Clonmellon, awaiting the arrival of forensic investigators. A Garda spokeperson said that at this time, there is no indication as to what caused the fire.
At the height of last night's incident, a pall of smoke could be seen as far away as Delvin and other nearby areas of north Westmeath and Meath, as fire services personnel attempted to control the blaze amid the intense heat, employing pump appliances, water tankers, aerial platforms and other equipment.
This morning, efforts are being made to recover skips and other equipment from the Clonmellon site, though much valuable equipment inside the building has been lost.
Ronan Crawley, transport manager with Allied Recycling, said that the company, and the 27 people who work at the Clonmellon site, have been left reeling by the fire but will not be affected in the long term.
'None of our vehicles have been damaged. We have a fleet of 30 altogether and they're still out on the road,' he said.
The Allied Recycling facility at Clonmellon was first opened in 2007.
The incident is the second major fire to have affected a Clonmellon-based business in just over three months.
The Pets Treats food plant, also located at Clonmellon Industrial Estate, sustained severe damage after fire broke out there in May.