Firefighters responded to a fire at Smurfit Westrock’s Townsend Hook paper mill and recycling site in Snodland, Kent, with the company confirming that no injuries were reported and the situation was brought under control.

The fire broke out at the site’s Recovered Fibre depot, an important part of the mill’s recycled fibre handling operations.

Emergency services were called to the industrial site on Mill Street at around 7:30am, with six fire engines initially dispatched to tackle the blaze.

Six Fire Engines Initially Sent to Paper Mill

Fire crews worked at the site throughout the day as smoke from the incident affected the surrounding area.

The response was gradually scaled back as firefighters brought the blaze under control.

By approximately 11:25am, five fire engines remained at the site.

At 4:30pm, the fire service said crews were making good progress but continued advising people living, working or travelling near Mill Street to keep windows and doors closed because of smoke from the fire.

By 7:30pm, the response had been reduced to three fire engines, although the advice concerning smoke remained in place.

Police and Network Rail personnel were also present near Snodland railway station during the incident.

Smurfit Westrock Confirms No Injuries

Smurfit Westrock confirmed that the fire originated at the recovered fibre depot at its Townsend Hook mill.

“Thanks to the swift response of emergency services and our teams, there were no injuries and the situation is under control,” the company said.

Smurfit Westrock also thanked employees at Townsend Hook Mill and the Kent Fire and Rescue Service for their response.

No information was provided on the extent of damage to the recovered fibre depot or whether the incident affected paper production at the mill.

Recovered Fibre Requires Careful Fire Management

Recovered paper and cardboard are important raw materials for recycled paper and containerboard production, but large volumes of stored fibre can present a significant fire load if ignition occurs.

For paper mills and recycling facilities, fire prevention typically requires careful management of recovered fibre storage areas, housekeeping, material movements and emergency response procedures.

However, neither Smurfit Westrock nor the fire service had provided information identifying the cause of the latest fire, so it would be premature to draw conclusions about how the incident started.

Previous Fire Reported at Same Site

The latest incident comes almost two years after another major fire at the same Snodland site.

During the earlier incident, large plumes of smoke were visible from the mill and firefighters remained at the location for more than 24 hours.

No connection between the two incidents has been reported.

Operational Impact Remains Unclear

For the paper industry, the key question following the fire will be whether damage to the recovered fibre depot affects material handling or production at Townsend Hook Mill.

Smurfit Westrock has so far confirmed that the incident is under control and that there were no injuries, but has not disclosed details regarding equipment damage, recovered fibre losses, production interruptions or expected downtime.

Until further information is released, any potential impact on mill operations or recycled paper production remains unclear.

Last Updated on 11/08/2026 by Jota Machinery