On Monday 20th November a fire in the early hours caused extensive damage to a property on the corner of Riddle Street and Talbot St in Fairlie. We now know that the property contains asbestos which was also damaged in the fire. Following expert advice, we have formulated a plan for the next 24 hours.
We will be reducing the area under cordon which will allow the owners of businesses in Bobby Square and the Bakehouse to make their own decisions about whether to reopen or not. Riddle Street from Aorangi Vets will remain closed.
We have organized testing. This will start first thing on Friday morning, and we will prioritize testing in the area near the immediate businesses. The results should be available late on Friday or early on Saturday.
While asbestos is a known human carcinogen and there is a risk from exposure, it is impossible to quantify the risk without expert testing and analysis of the results.
We are wetting down the fronts of the immediately adjacent shops and the street outside reduce the number of airborne particles that may be present.
Now that we are confident that the team have suitable measures in place for today, the team will concentrate on planning for tomorrow. We expect this will be the last update tonight.