Firefighters Cease Operations After Four-Day Blaze at Scottish Battery Recycling Plant

At approximately 10:00 PM local time, a fire erupted at a Scottish battery recycling plant, prompting the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service to advise nearby residents to remain indoors with windows and doors closed as a precautionary measure. Fortunately, there were no reported injuries stemming from the incident.

Videos and photos circulated on social media depicted a significant blaze engulfing the facility, accompanied by a dense plume of smoke billowing into the night sky. Witnesses also noted several loud explosions throughout the duration of the event. Responders from various agencies, including the police, local council, NHS, Scottish Water, and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, collaborated as part of a coordinated effort to manage the situation.

The fire persisted for a span of two days, during which the fire service reassured residents about heightened smoke levels resulting from ongoing efforts to fully extinguish the flames. Ian McMeekin, Area Commander and Local Senior Officer for East, North, and South Ayrshire, provided an update on April 11th, stating, “Firefighters remain at the scene of a fire within a recycling centre on Byrehill Place, Kilwinning. Two fire appliances are in attendance and work remains ongoing to gain full and safe access to the site to extinguish the fire.

“The fire is under control, and dampening down efforts are continuing. We continue to work alongside partners to minimise the disruption to the local community, and bring this incident to a safe conclusion.”