Some 600,000 litres of water transported in about 20 tankers were used to douse a raging fire that engulfed a detergents factory in Mrieħel, on April 12, according to the Civil Protection Department director.

Firefighters required a constant supply of water to put out the fire at Drop Chemicals and it could only be provided through the water tankers, Patrick Murgo said. “It is important that water is available, especially with a fire of that scale,” he said.

The fire, which raged for over five hours, was extinguished on the afternoon of April 13. It gutted the building, creating huge plumes of black smoke that was seen from across the island.

At least 20 tankers, each carrying about 30,000 litres of water, arrived on site with the firefighters pumping it into the building and even tapping into a water reservoir close by.

“We decided water tankers will be used for large scale fires as the (fire) hydrants (owned by the Water Services Corporation) were empty either because the water was stolen or due to leakages. In this way, I have a guarantee there will be at least 30,000 litres of water to use,” Mr Murgo explained.

Although the tankers belong to a private contractor, a number of government-owned ones were also used in the Mrieħel fire. There is no legislation regulating fire hydrants and where they should be placed.

Although he could not quantify the final cost of the water tankers used on April 12, Mr Murgo estimated it might add up to about €1,500, a bill that will be footed by the government.

“This cost forms part of the service offered by the department,” Mr Murgo said.

The department is also taking a proactive approach and, when asked by the planning authority to vet building projects, is suggesting a number of measures. “We are recommending that buildings have a water reservoir while larger projects, such as hotels or factories, have a water outlet or a hydrant,” he said.