Fire crews were called to an incident involving 300 tonnes of domestic waste ablaze in the main tipping bunker at the site yesterday (Monday 25 July) at 15.30.
At the height of the incident 12 fire engines and around 80 firefighters and officers tackled the fire, and two fire engines remain at the scene this morning. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
Crews from Wandsworth, Fulham, Tooting, Clapham, Chelsea, Kensington, Battersea, Hammersmith, Soho and Wimbldeon attended.
Bexley station manager Darren Levett who was at the scene said: “The fire was very visible and produced a lot of smoke which could be seen for miles around. Crews worked hard to contain it and as a precaution we advised people to keep their doors and windows closed.”
Incidents
Yesterday’s fire comes shortly after a blaze which broke out at the site on Thursday night (21 July) and was extinguished by an on-site sprinkler system (see letsrecycle.com story). The fire resulted in damage to a conveyer compressor. The two incidents are unrelated, Cory has claimed.
A spokesman for the company said: “The fire developed in the main tipping bunker, from early investigations it would appear that the ignition source may have come from a hot flammable item disposed of in one of the publicly available recycling bins. We are not sure what this was, possibly barbeque ashes. Our investigation continues.”
“We’d like to remind members of the public of the hazards of incorrectly disposing hot flammable items. In the meantime, we will continue to review and reinforce our own monitoring and treatment procedures to mitigate risk.
“Dry Mixed Recyclable material accepted at the site is currently being diverted to other sites.”
Cory operates the facility as part of a 30 year contract with London’s Western Riverside Waste Authority (WRWA). The 84,000 tonnes-a-year capacity plant sorts recyclables from Hammersmith and Fulham, Lambeth, Wandsworth and the royal borough of Kensington and Chelsea.
A spokesperson for the fire service confirmed 12 fire engines and around 80 firefighters attended the scene, which affected 300 tonnes of domestic waste.
Cory Environmental presented updated contingency plans in the event of a major incident to the WRWA last month (June 28). This included an assessment of procedures in the event of a major incident such as a fire preventing the MRF from operating.
[Updated: 15:35 26/07/2016 following statement from Cory Environmental]
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