New details about the devastating fire at Stoneywood Mill in Bucksburn last month and the emergency response have been revealed.
Stoneywood Mill, which had laid empty since 2022, was engulfed in flames on the morning of August 12, sending plumes of black smoke throughout the area.
It sparked a major emergency response led by the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS).
New details obtained by The Press and Journal reveal the call came in at exactly 8.51am, with 12 fire appliances deployed to the scene.
The report provided by SFRS notes that while there were no victims, an evacuation had taken place as there were workers inside when the fire broke out.
The fire started in the processing room, where decommissioning work was ongoing.
According to the report, the fire started while a worker was using cutting/welding equipment, which was the source of the ignition.
This was compounded by strong winds, which caused the fire to spread rapidly throughout the large site.
Stoneywood Mill suffered a devastating fire ruled as ‘accidental’
Due to the building being an old mill, flammable liquids were still on site, and when the fire hit some storage tanks, an explosion occurred.
On arrival, fire crews were delayed in tackling the fire due to the water supply, which had been switched off as the site was no longer in use.
The report stated: “Stoneywood Mill at the time of incident was under decommissioning from work men which caused accidental ignition.
“All services and water supply on site were isolated, which caused initial delay in firefighting.”
It also states there was a delay due to the massive size of the building.
When fire crews did get water supplied, 54 main line/jets and four high-pressure hose reels were used to bring the fire under control.
The incident was closed by SFRS at just after 9pm the same day. In total more than 75 SFRS personnel were dispatched to the scene.
While the fire was ongoing, smoke-filled much of the area, with residents advised to close windows.
The report confirms that asbestos was present in the building, which may have been released during the fire.
Other hazardous materials were diesel fuel, liquified petroleum gas (LPG), petrol, and propane.
SFRS has also confirmed that given the events leading up to the fire it has been ruled as “accidental”.
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