A BLAZE that raged for eight days at the Sonae chipboard factory only spread out of control after staff bypassed safety features and caused a power surge.

The catastrophic chain of events at the Sonae site, which led to Kirkby being covered in black smoke for more than a week, was spelled out in a report by Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service (MFRS).

According to the report, due to be discussed at a scrutiny meeting today, firefighters were called to the factory just after 8pm on June 9.

They found one of three bunkers containing thousands of tonnes of woodchip on fire.

They had a conveyor belt turned on to move the burning material under their jets, but at 12am it jammed as the wet woodchip solidified.

Sonae staff then bypassed safety features on the system to generate more power.

The report, attributed to Chief Fire Officer Dan Stephens, said: “The resultant power surge caused violent sparking and vibration which disturbed the substantial quantities of wood chip that covered the conveyor system at high level and lead to a rapid fire development which quickly involved all three bunkers.”

The report does not state whose idea it was to bypass the safety features.

By 3.50am, a call had gone out for the number of fire engines to be increased from six to eight and a group manager was dispatched to take charge.

Four firefighters were injured in the inciden,t with two suffering muscle injuries after lifting objects, and two more falling into a pit full of water.