FIRE fighters tackled a blaze at a wood chip factory in Chilton yesterday afternoon.

Crews from Newton Aycliffe attended the Wood Pellet Energy UK Ltd factory on Chilton Industrial Estate at 1.50pm after receiving reports of smoke pouring from the building.

The fire was discovered in a hopper at the premises.

Fire fighters fought the blaze using an aerial platform ladder, four hose reels, and required the use of thermal imaging equipment.

The blaze was extinguished by 4.15pm, but crews carried on damping down and breaking up the debris at the scene until the early evening.

The factory was empty at the time of the blaze, which is believed to have started accidentally.

Crew manager Andrew Emmett from Newton Aycliffe fire station said: "Some residue in one of the machines was smouldering, which caused some minor damage.

"It took us a while to gain access the machine, because we had to take it apart panel by panel.

"The fire looks like it may have been caused by some work which was carried out in the area earlier that day."

Durham Police also attended the scene as a precaution after the incident was picked up on the Force’s CCTV.