A section of a production facility in Co Clare was evacuated early this morning following a fire.
The blaze broke out at around 3.30am at the Element 6 facility in the Shannon Free Zone. The company, part of the De Beers group, manufactures synthetic diamond super-materials for a range of industries.
Shannon fire service was initially sent to investigate an automatic fire alarm at the plant. On arrival at the scene, crews quickly established there was a fire and found that a number of staff had already been evacuated.
Fire crews wearing breathing apparatus entered the building to investigate and establish the seriousness of the blaze. Soon afterwards, additional resources were requested and an appliance and crew were mobilised from Ennis.
Firefighters brought the fire under control and prevented it from spreading. Crews remained at the scene for a time, using specialist fans to clear the building of smoke.
A machine and a nearby extraction system are understood to have been damaged. No one was injured in the incident and the fire is understood to have started accidentally.
Once the scene had been declared safe, workers were allowed back into the building.