A Highland factory was evacuated in the early hours of yesterday morning because of concerns about overheating thermal hours.
Firefighters were called to the SGL Group site in Muir of Ord at about 4.15am because of smoke and a suspected oil leak within the production plant.
Afterwards bosses at the plant said it appeared to have been caused by thermal oil overheating – but said there was no actual fire.
Firefighters used a chemical spill kit, breathing apparatus, a thermal imaging camera and a hose reel jet to tackle the incident.
Firefighters declared the incident under control by 7.13am.
Stephen Easton, site director for the SGL Group said: “There was an incident early this morning at our Muir of Ord site.
“It appears to have been an issue with thermal oil overheating and while there was smoke, there was no actual fire.
“Everybody was evacuated and there were no injuries. The emergency services arrived on scene very quickly and we would like to thank them for their prompt response.
“An investigation into the cause is underway but the spillage has been contained completely within the site and we are now undertaking a clean-up operation. We hope to be back to normal as soon as possible.”
There was little evidence of the drama visible from the outside the side just hours after the incident.
Contractors were beginning to arrive on site shortly after 10am to help clear up the spillage.
German-owned SGL currently operate in the plant an industrial estate on the outskirts of Muir of Ord and produces carbon fibre composite materials.
The materials are then used in the automotive, aerospace, energy and sports industries.
A factory has operated in the site for more than 30 years and is a major employers in the area.
A spokeswoman for the fire service confirmed that four crews had been sent to the scene to tackle the incident.