Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service (RBFRS) received reports of a fire at a WasteCare facility in Colthrop Business Park on Colthrop Lane, at around 7.30pm yesterday (28 September 2026).
The Wastecare Thatcham site operates as a Transfer Station for all hazardous waste collections carried out in the surrounding area.
Crews from Theale, Newbury and Hungerford fire stations were sent to the scene, alongside specialist vehicles.
Video footage from the incident showed large plumes of smoke rising from an industrial building at the site, with reports of loud bangs and explosions being heard.
RBFRS said it had received a “large number of calls” about the incident and confirmed that crews were at the scene.
In a subsequent update, the service said: “Thank you to everyone for their patience while we deal with a fire in the area of Colthrop Lane, Thatcham. Emergency services are likely to remain on the scene for some time.”
WasteCare has now confirmed that the fire is under control.
The company said Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service was “first on the scene”, followed shortly afterwards by its management team.
It said it was working with the emergency services and the Environment Agency, while an investigation into the cause of the fire is being carried out.
WasteCare said operations at its Thatcham site would continue, describing the situation as “business as usual”.
A statement from WastCare added: “We are putting contingency arrangements in place across our national network of sites to keep disruption to customers as low as possible. We are not expecting any disruption to customer service.
“We would like to thank the emergency services for their swift response and our neighbours for their patience and understanding.”
Rail disruption
The fire also caused disruption to rail services through Thatcham, with Great Western Railway (GWR) closing the station and cancelling services between Reading and Newbury last night.
Lee Dillon, MP for Newbury, said that Network Rail had established a 150-metre exclusion zone around the blaze, resulting in the suspension of train services through the area.
GWR is now reporting that trains are running as normal following the incident.
Dillon said: “Many of you will have seen the concerning footage of a fire in Thatcham.
“The fire is currently active at the Colthrop Business Park, with reports that it is located at a waste management centre.
“Fire and rescue services are on site and working hard to bring the fire under control.”
Emergency services are expected to remain at the scene for some time.
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