The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) was alerted to a fire involving a large quantity of scrap metal at Brookfield Metals’ recycling plant at Avontoun Works, close to the A706, shortly after 9.30am.
Crews were deployed to tackle the blaze, with appliances seen running shuttles to refill with water from a nearby housing estate.
SFRS said in a Facebook post that firefighters were “currently in attendance” at the recycling plant, adding that crews were working to extinguish the fire.
People living nearby were advised to keep windows and doors closed and to avoid the area where possible.
A large plume of smoke was reported over Linlithgow, while intermittent bangs, described by locals as explosions, could be heard as firefighters tackled the blaze.
Residents also reported a strong smell of plastic coming from the area.
Fires in the waste and recycling sector
The incident comes amid continued concern over fires at waste and recycling facilities across the UK and Ireland, with operators and fire services reporting persistent incidents involving mixed waste and recyclable materials.
Metals facilities are particularly at risk with industry bodies including the Environmental Services Association (ESA) warning that battery-related fires – particularly those linked to improperly disposed lithium-ion batteries – are now occurring at what they describe as “epidemic levels”.
A fire broke out causing nearby road closures and a large plume of black smoke at a metals recycler in Bromsgrove last month (1 September), followed by a separate blaze at a metals recycler in Leyton, East Leyton that saw 60 firefighters on site (8 September).
While the cause of the fire is currently still under investigation, it was likely caused by a battery which had ended up in the incorrect waste stream.
Batteries present a severe fire risk when they are crushed or otherwise improperly managed and should be disposed of via specialist battery bins, which can be found in supermarkets.
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