A significant fire that broke out at a metal recycling centre in Millbank Street, Northam, Southampton, on Wednesday night has been linked to a concealed lithium-ion battery, according to officials.

Firefighters were called to the scene at the EMR (European Metal Recycling) facility after hazardous smoke billowed into the air, drifting across the River Itchen towards Bitterne. Crews battled the fire for over five hours, with seven fire engines from St Mary’s, Hightown, Redbridge Hill, Botley, and Romsey attending.

The fire is believed to have been caused by a lithium-ion battery, a prohibited item in metal recycling, that had made its way into the facility undetected. EMR, the metal recycling group that owns the facility, said:

The suspected cause of the fire was a concealed lithium-ion battery – a prohibited item that EMR works very diligently to keep out of the metal recycling stream.

EMR emphasized that, despite their industry-leading safety protocols, the presence of lithium-ion batteries in recyclable materials remains a dangerous risk. The company is now working to implement more proactive measures to prevent such incidents.

Fortunately, no casualties were reported, and the facility has resumed operations. A spokesperson for EMR added:

We take incidents like this very seriously and will review the circumstances to continue improving our procedures.

Firefighters used two aerial ladders to tackle the blaze, and the environmental protection unit was also on-site to monitor the flow of water runoff from the scene.

The fire has raised further awareness about the dangers of lithium-ion batteries in the recycling process and the importance of keeping hazardous materials out of the waste stream.

Local residents and businesses were advised to stay clear of the area during the incident and to keep windows closed due to the hazardous smoke. The swift and coordinated response from fire crews helped bring the blaze under control.