Eight fire engines and around 60 firefighters attended a fire at a waste recycling centre on Thames Road in Crayford.
A stack of mixed recycling was alight. There were no reports of any injuries.
Firefighters implemented a water relay system as part of firefighting operations. The appliances were stationed between the incident site and the nearest water hydrant, and then connected together by hose. This allowed crews to pump a constant supply of water to the scene of the fire.
The most probable cause of the fire was the unsafe disposal of a lithium-ion battery.
A London Fire Brigade spokesperson said: "Lithium-ion batteries and electricals with hidden lithium-ion batteries should not be placed in the same bins as your regular rubbish or recycling. Instead, check with the retailer or your local authority's website for the safest way to dispose of lithium-ion batteries in your area and reduce the risk of fires occurring.
"Lithium-ion battery fires are a major risk. We’ve seen a growing number of fires at waste disposal sites that are believed to have been caused by a lithium battery.
"Although lithium-ion battery products that have been built to a poor standard are a higher fire risk, any battery is at risk of exploding and catching fire if it has been crushed or becomes damaged. Lithium-ion battery fires can be ferocious and can spread in seconds.
"Fires that we attend at sites like recycling centres and scrap yards can be very time consuming for our firefighters and often require a high level of resources to put the fire out. We’ve also seen the detrimental environmental and societal impact these fires can have on local communities."
The Brigade was called at 1802 and Control Officers mobilised crews from Bexley, Erith, Sidcup, Plumstead and Orpington fire stations to the scene. Kent Fire & Rescue Service also attended.
The fire was extinguished by 2026.