| An investigation was launched in the aftermath of the blaze, which was reported at the former Holo-Krome fasteners site at Kingsway West, around 1.30 am.
A senior fire fighter said anyone inside the building could have been overcome by toxic smoke produced by burning plastic.
“It was a fire in a pile of rubbish — plastic materials, old cables and things like that, which had been piled up in the middle of the floor,” said Assistant Divisional Officer Graeme Brown.
“Because of the kind of night it was, very still, the smoke hung around for quite a while.”
Fire crews, wearing breathing apparatus in the dense smoke, spent almost an hour using jets to bring the outbreak under control.
The plumes coming from the building at the height of the fire were so thick that vehicles on the nearby Kingsway could pass only at a crawl.
Although there was no damage to the building itself, there were signs that people had gained access, with doors open and windows broken.
ADO Brown added, “The burning plastic is toxic and, because the smoke builds up quickly, there is always a danger in starting fires like this.”
A spokesperson for Tayside Police said today, “The fire is under inquiry, and we would ask that anyone who was in the area and saw or heard anything suspicious get in touch with us.” |
