Residents in Scotland Urged to Stay Indoors After Battery Waste Facility Fire

Undated handout photo of a fire in Paisley, Scotland. (MxMike/PA)

Residents have been urged to stay indoors after a battery waste facility at a recycling plant caught fire in Scotland.

Crews from the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service were sent to the Linwood Industrial Estate just after 9 p.m. on Sunday following reports of a fire in a commercial building in Paisley, Renfrewshire.

The site belongs to the e-waste solutions company Enva, which is licensed for dismantling and testing waste electronic and electrical equipment (WEEE) for the purposes of recycling.

Windows and Doors Shut

Dramatic photos showed a large plume of smoke coming from the site. Explosions were also heard by witnesses.

Firefighters had urged residents in the surrounding area to remain indoors and keep their windows and doors shut. They said that motorists should also keep windows closed, turn off air conditioning, and keep air vents closed.

At its height, 10 fire appliances were mobilised to the scene of the fire.

The service said there were no reported casualties.

In a statement, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency said that officers are working closely with partner agencies and will continue to monitor the situation.

Enva said in a statement: “We would like to apologise to local residents and businesses for any inconvenience caused and kindly ask them to follow any advice issued by the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.

“There have been no injuries and the cause of the fire will be the subject of an immediate and thorough investigation.

“We will be contacting any customers impacted as soon as possible to ensure continuity of service.

“Our Linwood general waste recycling facility, whilst unaffected by the fire, will remain closed until the emergency services’ cordon is lifted and operational responsibility for the site is returned to Enva.”

In a post on social media platform X on Monday, firefighters said that local residents are being asked where possible to avoid the area, but “no longer need to keep windows and doors closed and can now go outdoors.”

Dangerous

Last month, the National Fire Chiefs Council warned that “fires involving lithium-ion batteries are a disaster waiting to happen.”

According to a study, battery fires in bin lorries and at waste sites in the UK have reached an all-time high, rising by more than 70 percent since 2022, with more than 1,200 estimated to have occurred last year.

Batteries hidden in electronics trigger fires when crushed in recycling centres, bins, and collection vehicles.

The National Fire Chiefs Council said that lithium-ion battery fires can be dangerous to the public, waste site workers, and firefighters because of the risk of chemical exposure and reignition.

PA Media contributed to this report.