When a major fire broke out on board a cargo vessel docked in Hull, CountyClean Group was called in to support the post-incident clean-up. The job? To remove hundreds of tonnes of contaminated fire water from deep inside the ship’s cargo hold — quickly, safely and with full environmental compliance.
Here’s how we tackled it.
Fast Action from the Start
The initial enquiry came in late on a Sunday evening. Despite the timing, we were on-site within 24 hours to review the situation and collect waste samples. These were delivered to four disposal facilities across the North of England – in Hull, Sheffield, Middlesbrough and Cadishead – to ensure the waste could be safely accepted and processed.
This rapid response allowed us to build a detailed plan and mobilise equipment quickly.
What Happened in Hull?
You might have seen this incident in the news. The vessel involved – the MV ALTAY, suffered a serious fire when a cargo of scrap metal caught alight. The blaze generated thick smoke, which blanketed the Hull area and led to road closures and major disruption in the city. Firefighting crews worked through the night to bring it under control, pouring huge volumes of water into the ship’s hold to stop the spread.
Once the flames were out, that water remained — now contaminated and sitting deep inside the cargo hold. That’s where we came in.
The Job: Deep-Lift Waste Extraction
We arrived to the site on July 6th to prepare for a full week of operations.
The vessel’s cargo hold was no small space — measuring 40 metres long, 15 metres wide and 15 metres deep. To remove the water efficiently, we deployed:
1 x Combination Unit (for deep-lift extraction)
5 x 8-Wheeler Vacuum Tankers
1 x Support Vehicle
A Dedicated On-Site Project Manager
Our combination unit remained on site throughout, lifting the contaminated water from the bottom of the hold and filling the vacuum tankers stationed on the quay. This setup ensured a fast turnaround — allowing us to keep vehicles moving to and from the disposal facilities each day.
Over the five days, we successfully removed 703,000 litres (703m³) of contaminated fire water from the vessel.
Safety & Environmental Compliance
All works were managed by our experienced operations project manager, with strict adherence to a site-specific Risk Assessment and Method Statement. Health and Safety was our top priority, both for our crew and the surrounding environment.
Our dedicated team stayed local during the job and took a scheduled rests when needed before returning home on Sunday — a testament to both our commitment to welfare and the scale of the work involved.
The Result: Swift, Safe and Successful
This project showcased everything CountyClean Group stands for:
- Fast mobilisation
- Complex waste handling
- Deep-lift extraction expertise
- Full environmental compliance
- Zero incidents
Whether it’s emergency response, contaminated liquid waste or large-scale industrial cleaning, we have the skills, vehicles and experience to deliver safely and efficiently.
Need Help with a Similar Project or Emergency?
If you’re dealing with a challenging industrial clean-up, vessel decontamination or emergency environmental incident — our team is ready to help, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Call us on 0800 171 2204 for immediate response.