Household battery thought to be cause of major fire at Mid UK Recycling plant near Ancaster

A lithium battery put in a household recycling bin is thought to have caused a major fire at a waste processing plant near Ancaster this morning.
The fire at MidUK Recycling, Barkston HeathThe fire at MidUK Recycling, Barkston Heath
The fire at MidUK Recycling, Barkston Heath

Around 50 firefighters have been at the scene of a major blaze at a recycling plant near Ancaster.

Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue Service have now brought the major fire at Mid Uk Recycling’s Barkston Heath site under control after the alarm was raised at 1.30am.

It is now thought the cause of the fire may have been a household battery, put into the recycling and taken to the plant.

The fire at MidUK Recycling, Barkston HeathThe fire at MidUK Recycling, Barkston Heath
The fire at MidUK Recycling, Barkston Heath

A spokesperson for Mid UK Recycling said: “Fire crews were called to our Barkston Heath Materials Recycling Facility at 1.30am this morning after we discovered a fire on site.

“At the moment we believe the fire started on a waste processing line. We believe the cause may have been a lithium battery which has come in within the kerbside recycling

materials we receive, but a full investigation will be carried out in due course. The fire was contained within our MRF. No stored waste materials were affected and, due to the fire

breaks we have in place, the fire did not spread to any other units.

The fire at MidUK Recycling, Barkston Heath.The fire at MidUK Recycling, Barkston Heath.
The fire at MidUK Recycling, Barkston Heath.

“The fire service has been working throughout the night to bring the fire under control. Our immediate concern is with regards to the impact this incident has had on local residents and we would like to apologise to everyone who has been affected overnight and this morning.

"We will be working closely with the fire service to determine the cause and any lessons that can be learned going forward."

No injuries have been reported.