Two phosphorus tanks exploded during the blaze and the job of the local emergency services was hampered by the presence of magnesium. The fire was extinguished after four hours.
Assistant divisional officer Nigel Dilley said the firefighters tackled the fire in a defensive manner as it was too dangerous for them to go inside the building.
"The chemicals are making things difficult for crews as we cannot mix water with them so we are making sure the fire doesn’t spread and keeping on top of it," he said at the time.
Sil-Die, based in Maldon, was unavailable for comment, however there were no reported injuries from the incident.
Volatile chemicals in dies-plant blaze test fire crew
Forty firefighters were needed to quell a blaze at the Essex factory of Sil-Die, a foiling and embossing dies manufacturer, last Tuesday (8 February).
