Update on Thursday’s fire at waste management centre in Wellingborough

Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service was called to reports of a fire at a waste management centre on Finedon Road Industrial Estate in Wellingborough shortly before 12:30pm yesterday (August 7).

Approximately 100 tonnes of recycling waste was on fire, and at its height 5 crews and a water bowser were in attendance putting it out.

By 8:30pm the fire had been extinguished. Crews have intermittently checked the fire throughout the night and this morning for any remaining hotspots to ensure that is safe, and the scene has now been handed back to the site owners.

The fire was believed to have started accidentally. It is thought likely to be caused by a lithium-ion battery, but due to the severity of the fire damage it cannot be determined exactly what the cause of the initial ignition was.

However, batteries that aren’t disposed of correctly do pose a fire risk, and we would ask the public to please follow their local authority guidance on how to safely dispose of batteries.

For North Northamptonshire: Battery disposal | North Northamptonshire Council

For West Northamptonshire: Battery disposal | West Northamptonshire Council

Note to editors: This site that this incident was located was not council owned.