Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue Service told letsrecycle.com it was called to a fire inside the Kingsway facility just after 7am.
Nine fire engines attended the scene, alongside an aerial platform, a drone and an incident command unit from Leighton Buzzard.
Due to the smoke caused by the blaze, the fire service says, some residents in the area had to be evacuated with assistance from Bedfordshire Police and Luton borough council. Other residents were asked to keep their doors and windows closed. Police put in place road closures around the scene.
At around 7.45pm on Saturday the fire service announced that the blaze had been extinguished and residents who had been evacuated could return home.
The council says no-one was hurt during the blaze. The cause of the fire is not yet known.
Disruption
Luton says the disruption caused by the fire has exacerbated “operational difficulties” it was already experiencing due to the national shortage of HGV drivers.
The council told letsrecycle.com that additional crews were out today collecting last week’s outstanding general waste and recycling bins, as well as general waste from high rise flats and communal bins.
From tomorrow, the council says, it will prioritise domestic collections of household, recycling and garden waste.
However, kerbside glass collections are currently suspended. The council asked residents to use local glass recycling points until rounds are back to normal, as “we will be emptying these more regularly to allow for any extra glass.”
In a statement, the council said: “Until we can determine the extent of the damage we are unclear when the facility can be brought back into full operation. At this stage we are prioritising domestic general waste collection.”
Luton apologised to residents for the inconvenience and asked them to be patient while they caught up with collections.
‘Operational difficulties’
Cllr Tom Shaw, Luton’s portfolio holder for recycling and waste, said: “This has not come at a good time for us as we have been trying to catch up with rounds due to staff shortages, but we want to ask for people’s understanding.
This has not come at a good time for us as we have been trying to catch up with rounds due to staff shortages
- Cllr Tom Shaw, portfolio holder for recycling and waste at Luton borough council
“Our crews have worked extremely hard over the last few years during incredibly difficult times. We are one of only a few councils that maintained all our household collections despite the impact of Covid and shortages of suitably qualified staff.
“We are absolutely committed to maintaining our services but please bear with us if there is an occasional delay.”
Representing an estimated population of nearly 220,000, Luton borough council had a household waste recycling rate of 29.5% in the 2020/21 financial year.
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