Battery Blamed for Transport Avenue Recycling Site Fire
Fire Brigade issues reminder not to dispose of them in general waste
Firefighters used a relay system to get water to the fire. Picture: London Fire Brigade
March 24, 2025
London Fire Brigade has issued a warning about the disposal of batteries after another fire broke out in a waste recycling site in Brentford.
The failure of a lithium-ion battery is being blamed for around100 square metres of scrap metal and electrical waste catching fire on Transport Avenue in the early hours of Friday (22 March).
The Brigade was called at 2:21am and Control Officers mobilised six fire engines and around 40 firefighters from Heston, Chiswick, Ealing, Acton and Richmond fire stations to the scene. It took two and a half hours to get the fire under control.
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. There were no reports of any injuries.
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."
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