LATEST UPDATES REGARDING THE FIRE AT OUR BRACKNELL MANUFACTURING SITE

Progress at our Manufacturing Site

We are progressing well with our restart plan:

• since Monday 22^nd June, our office teams have returned to site
• since Monday 29^th June, our Fine Art Paper Converting department has restarted production, and we are now operating at full capacity in this department
• since Monday 3^rd August, our Mountboard and Education Paper Converting department has restarted production and we are now operating at full capacity in this department

Our next steps will focus on restarting other departments that have been only indirectly or partially impacted by the fire, within the next month.

Remediation Work On Site

Remediation work is continuing. Recent activity has involved clearing, moving and sorting materials within the yard.

No noisy works will take place outside these hours:

• Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm
• Saturday, 8am to 1pm
• No noisy works on Sunday

Demolition will begin with the fire-damaged silo in the week commencing 17^th August and is expected to take around two weeks. Temporary roof repairs will run alongside it. A mobile crane will be on site from that week to begin taking down the silo, starting with the upper section, and will be visible above the treeline. Before lifting, the silo has to be cut in sections. A marked exclusion zone will be in place around the lift, extending onto the footpath that is already closed. That is standard for work of this kind. Lifting cannot take place in high winds or thunderstorms, so the schedule might shift if the weather turns.

From the week commencing 31^st August, an external corner wall and loose roof debris will be removed to create safe access for the fire investigation. Further phases will follow, and we will publish details as they are confirmed.

Environmental Survey

Both stages of the Ramboll (one of the UK’s leading environmental consultancies) survey are progressing well: 130 zones checked for potential asbestos, and soil and water sampling under way since mid-July. All samples are tested by independent UKAS-accredited laboratories. We are working closely with Bracknell Forest Council and all relevant authorities throughout this process.

Looking ahead

We remain committed to keeping our community, customers and partners informed as we continue this recovery. Thank you again for your continued trust and support. Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.

As we continue our recovery following the fire at our Bracknell manufacturing facility on 25^th May, we wanted to share an update with our community, customers and partners.

The support we have received over these past weeks has continued to mean a great deal to us. Thank you to everyone, our neighbours here in Bracknell; our customers, our partners, and the wider creative community; for your patience, understanding and encouragement throughout this process.

Progress at our Manufacturing Site

Our office teams returned to the site since Monday 22^nd June, and remediation works across the site are progressing well.

We are particularly pleased to confirm that our Fine Art Paper Converting department restarted production since Monday 29^th June, and we are now operating at full capacity in this department.

Our next steps will focus on restarting other departments that have only been indirectly or partially impacted by the fire within the next two months.

Environmental Survey

In parallel with our recovery efforts, a comprehensive environmental survey is currently underway. The survey has been designed by Ramboll, one of the UK’s leading environmental consultancies, and is being carried out by carefully selected specialist contractors, with all samples tested by independent UKAS-accredited laboratories. It covers 130 defined zones across the surrounding area, with a number of residential properties also selected for individual enhanced assessment. We are working closely with Bracknell Forest Council and all relevant authorities throughout this process.

Looking ahead

We remain committed to keeping our community, customers and partners informed as we continue this recovery. Thank you again for your continued trust and support. Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.

As we enter the second week since the fire at our Bracknell manufacturing facility on Monday 25^th May 2026, we wanted to once again reach out to our community, our partners, and all those who have shown us such extraordinary support.

The kindness and solidarity we have witnessed over the past week, from our neighbours here in Bracknell, from the emergency services, from local authorities, and from the wider community around the world, has been humbling beyond words. We remain deeply grateful to the fire brigades, to Thames Valley Police, South Central Ambulance Service, Berkshire Lowland Search and Rescue, volunteers from Jennett’s Park Community Centre, Waitrose, and to all those who have supported residents through this difficult time.

Following the fire, we were aware of a leak from our site. We immediately notified the Environment Agency and have been working under their guidance and supervision ever since. Immediate actions were taken to prevent any further release from the site, with an emergency response team deployed on-site. Samples have been taken and are being analysed. As a precautionary measure, we took swift action to start removing the material ahead of receiving those results. Remediation work is actively under way and making good progress. Additional meetings are taking place with Thames Water on-site to ensure all potential environmental impacts are being addressed comprehensively.

We would like to express our deepest gratitude to our neighbours for their understanding and patience throughout this difficult time. We are working hand in hand with all local authorities and following all guidance and instructions. We will continue to update our community as the situation develops.

On Monday 25^th May 2026, a significant fire broke out at our manufacturing facility on Peacock Lane, Bracknell. The fire brigade attended promptly, and we are grateful for the extraordinary response from Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, and Hampshire Fire and Rescue Services, as well as Thames Valley Police and the South Central Ambulance Service.

We are pleased to confirm that all Daler-Rowney staff are safe. As the site was not operating due to the bank holiday, no employees were present at the time of the fire.

We are currently assessing the full extent of the damage and the impact on our operations. We will provide further updates as the situation develops.

We are deeply aware of the significant disruption caused to local residents, many of whom  spent the night away from their homes. We sincerely apologise for this and wish to express our heartfelt gratitude to the local community for their patience and understanding.

We would also like to thank the emergency services for their professionalism and tireless efforts throughout the night. We would also like to specifically acknowledge the efforts of Peter Swallow MP, the borough mayor, local ward councillors, and the volunteers who opened Jennett’s Park Community Centre overnight for evacuated residents. Their response to support the local community was truly appreciated.

For enquiries, please contact: Cedric Grossmann via cedric.grossmann@daler-rowney.com