London Fire Brigade (LFB) said eight fire engines and around 60 firefighters attended the incident at a recycling centre on Johnson Street, Southall.
Around 15 tonnes of mixed recycling were reported to be alight.
The Brigade was first called to the fire at 5.33pm, with crews mobilised from Southall, Hayes, Feltham and surrounding fire stations. Firefighters had the blaze under control by 8.35pm.
The cause of the fire is not known at this time.
Disruption to trains
Due to heavy smoke travelling from the site, the nearby Great Western Main Line was partially closed as a precaution while crews tackled the incident.
LFB said the closure was necessary to ensure the safety of rail services while firefighters remained on scene.
National Rail warned of major disruption between London Paddington and Heathrow Airport terminals, as well as Reading, with delays expected until around 11pm.
The disruption caused severe travel delays for passengers travelling to and from Heathrow on Sunday evening.
Spate of recycling facility fires
This latest incident comes amid a spate of fires at recycling and waste management facilities across the UK and Ireland in recent months.
Firefighters were called to EMR’s Cross Green recycling facility in Leeds on 6 January 2025, with eight engines in attendance at the height of the fire.
In many cases, it is believed that the improper disposal of lithium-ion batteries are a significant cause for the fires, with the Environmental Services Association (ESA) recently describing the situation as reaching “epidemic levels”.
Lithium-ion cells can ignite when damaged or crushed, common occurrences in mixed waste streams. Once compromised, the batteries can enter thermal runaway, rapidly reaching extreme temperatures capable of igniting surrounding materials.
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