Chirk factory boss apologises for fire
The chairman of a wood factory, which saw a huge fire in its log yard, has written to people living nearby apologising for the blaze.
Mike McKenna, chairman of Kronospan, in Chirk, near Oswestry, has urged those living in certain parts of the town to contact the company if they have ongoing concerns.
The apology comes amid continuing calls for an independent inquiry into the fire that broke out in the early hours of Monday last week.
Firefighters were stood down on the Thursday evening.
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The company said it had delivered letters to residents in the Lodgevale and Old Rhos-y-Waun districts of the town yesterday to apologise for the impact of the fire.
At a special meeting of the town council last week, residents described having running eyes, sneezing, choking and struggling to breathe as a result of smoke from the blaze.
Signed by Mr McKenna, the letter says: “I want to express my sincere regret for the fact that the fire last week has occurred and for the impact that it has had on those residents who have been affected by the smoke that it created.
“If you have not yet done so, I would ask you to respond to this letter to allow us to understand how you have been affected by this incident so we can try to reach an amicable solution to repair our relationship with those households directly affected as a consequence of this fire.”
A petition has been launched by Plaid Cymru for an independent inquiry into the fire and previous fires.
The petition says: “We want to safeguard the community’s health and safety as well as that of the workers at the plant.
"The best way to safeguard the plant’s future is to improve the safety there.”
The MP for Clwyd South, Simon Baynes, has called for a “transparent” investigation.
