Avon Fire and Rescue was called to the Avonmouth Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) in the early hours of Wednesday (15 July 2026).
The incident was first reported at 1:32am and was downscaled from a major incident at 10:24am, indicating that the worst of the fire burned for approximately nine hours.
😲 A major incident has been declared by Avon Fire & Rescue Service who were called to the blaze at 1.32am at the Suez recycling centre, Kings Weston Lane, Avonmouth. There are no reported injuries but crews continued to bring the fire under control.https://t.co/jxFQQdXU3A
— Suzanne Audrey (@AudreySuzanne) July 15, 2026
The fire service confirmed that all personnel at the site were safely evacuated and there are currently no reported injuries.
Fred Stinchcombe, South West Regional Manager for SUEZ UK, said: “At approximately 1.30am, a fire broke out at our Avonmouth materials recycling facility which sorts dry, mixed recycling materials from local households and businesses including paper, cans, plastic and card.
“The fire is currently ongoing, and we apologise for any disruption caused to local residents and businesses as a result.
“There are no injuries and we are thankful to Avon Fire and Rescue Service for their quick and ongoing response.”
As of the latest update, most of the fire has now been extinguished but crews will remain on scene to deal with any remaining hot spots.
Local road Kings Weston Lane remains closed between the A403 St Andrews Road and Long Cross.
Bristol Waste confirmed that the fire has not affected its Household Reuse and Recycling Centre which is located within the same industrial estate and is closed as a standard non-open day.
Residents were advised to keep windows and doors closed due to significant smoke in the air.
Crews from Avonmouth, Patchway, Southmead, Nailsea, Temple, Pill, Portishead, Kingswood, Chew Magna, Clevedon, Bedminster, Yate, Thornbury and Weston-super-Mare responded to the incident.
The MRF processes around 68,000 tonnes of recycled material annually.
While the cause of the fire has not been announced pending further investigation, the industry has faced a major increase in battery-related fires in recent years.
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.
Material Focus reported that more than 1,200 battery-related fires broke out in refuse vehicles and waste facilities during 2023/24 – a 71% increase on the previous year.
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