The Clandeboye manufacturing site, located in the Timaru District, represents one of Fonterra’s largest and most vital dairy processing hubs in New Zealand. The multi-plant facility processes millions of litres of milk daily, manufacturing high-value export commodities including specialized whole and skim milk powders, cheese lines, and customized dairy proteins for global foodservice and ingredients markets.

Firefighting personnel worked alongside the site’s on-site emergency management team to isolate the source of the fire and secure the operational perimeter. Standard emergency evacuation and safety protocols were activated, ensuring that plant personnel and contractors working across adjacent manufacturing blocks were accounted for and kept clear of the affected zone.

Operational staff and emergency responders monitored adjoining processing infrastructure, ducting, and storage areas for smoke spread or heat transmission. Thanks to the prompt coordinated response between local fire services and the factory’s emergency management team, the incident was brought under control before spreading to core processing and packaging assets.