Wimbledon waste depot fire cause unknown – but spectre of lithium batteries raised again

By Charlotte Lilywhite, Local Democracy Reporter

A waste company has raised concerns about the incorrect disposal of lithium batteries, after a fire at its plant left residents ‘choking on smoke’ for days.

About 40 firefighters rushed to Reston Waste Management in Weir Road, Wimbledon, after a blaze broke out on September 7 and continued to burn for several days.

The direction of the wind meant large quantities of smoke were blown across the Merton border into Earlsfield and other areas in Wandsworth, which forced several schools to close.

Reston Waste said that while the London Fire Brigade (LFB) recorded the cause of the blaze as undetermined, there was ‘an issue with lithium-ion batteries not being disposed of correctly’ in general.

Lithium batteries are the main type of rechargeable battery found in household electrical items and vehicles. While fire-related incidents with these batteries are uncommon if they are used correctly, they can ignite, burn and in some cases explode if they overheat, are punctured, crushed or overcharged.

LFB says they are the fastest rising cause of fire in the city, particularly when it comes to e-scooters and bikes being modified or charged with the wrong type of charger.

Reston Waste warned that, out of the millions of batteries incorrectly thrown away each year, lithium batteries are ‘most prone to starting serious fires, since they have a high energy density and are particularly volatile once damaged’.

The LFB is putting together a report to help authorities better understand what caused the fire, why it burned for so long and whether Reston Waste followed the correct procedures. It is working with the Environment Agency and Merton and Wandsworth councils in relation to the incident.

A Reston Waste spokesman insisted fire safety procedures are in place at all of the company’s sites and follow health and safety protocols. They said: “The cause of the fire is undetermined. Waste fires often take time to bring under control and it is not uncommon for them to burn for weeks. The fire service, supported by staff from Reston Waste, was able to isolate the fire and put it out, relatively quickly.

“Whilst we don’t know the cause of the fire at our depot, there is an issue with lithium-ion batteries not being disposed of correctly. It is a problem across the industry.

“We deal with non-hazardous construction waste – concrete, plasterboard, wood, metal, et cetera – so there should not have been any batteries or toxic material in the waste.”

“This is an industry-wide problem and whilst we don’t know the cause of the fire at our depot, there is an issue with lithium-ion batteries. We are also currently in discussion with the London Fire Brigade, looking at ways in which we can educate consumers as to the need to dispose of batteries with care.”

An LFB spokesman said: “Fires can be recorded as having an undetermined cause when the site is unsafe, thus hindering the work of our fire investigators, or when there is not enough evidence to definitively confirm one cause.”

Pictured top: Smoke from the fire at Reston Waste Management, Wimbledon (Picture: Glyn Goodwin)