Six fire engines and around 40 firefighters were called to a fire at a recycling plant on Pensbury Place in Wandsworth.
Around 250 tonnes of mixed recycling waste was destroyed by fire. Fortunately not injuries are reported. Due to heavy smoke blown across nearby rail tracks, trains ran 'with caution' for several hours until it cleared. One turntable ladder was used as an observation tower. Thankfully not injuries are reported.
The Brigade's Control officers received the first of 44 calls at 1808 and they mobilised crews from Clapham, Battersea, Chelsea, Lambeth and Brixton fire stations. The fire was under control by 0008 (5/9/26).
The cause of the fire is believed to be accidental and most likely due to damage to a lithium-ion batteries.
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."