Emergency responders have concluded that the significant fire was not intentionally set.
Investigations by Scottish authorities indicate that a major fire at a battery recycling facility in western Scotland was not the result of arson. The fire, which occurred last Wednesday in Kilwinning, led to the evacuation of nearby homes.
The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) dispatched nearly a dozen fire engines to combat the fire at Fenix Battery Recycling, situated on the Byrehill Industrial Estate in North Ayrshire. This incident occurred almost exactly one year after a previous fire severely damaged the same location, burning for two days.
Eyewitnesses reported loud explosions and substantial smoke plumes during last Wednesday’s fire. The SFRS advised residents to keep windows and doors closed and avoid handling any debris in the vicinity.
According to local news sources, police and emergency services determined on Friday that the fire’s origin was not deliberate.
According to reports, one X user commented that “the volume of toxins released is comparable to 1,000 trucks with poorly maintained diesel engines running continuously for over a decade.”
The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) had revoked Fenix’s waste management license in September of the previous year as part of an “ усиленный пакет мер по обеспечению соблюдения требований.”
The company received an order to move all waste that violated the license terms to an approved site.
The enforcement actions included a June deadline for Fenix to meet several requirements, such as clearing fire debris, repairing damaged infrastructure, and putting in place a thorough fire prevention and mitigation strategy.
The agency reported that its personnel had visited the site to take samples from adjacent waterways and would continue to monitor the situation.