A large fire at a waste facility near Wembley Stadium in north‑west London has disrupted tube and rail services in the area.
Twenty fire engines and around 125 firefighters were dispatched to tackle the blaze at a mixed‑waste site on an industrial estate in Neasden, less than a mile from the stadium.
Transport for London reported that the entire Metropolitan line, which runs close to the fire, was suspended, as was the Jubilee line between Wembley Park and West Hampstead, with severe delays elsewhere. Rail services into London Marylebone were also affected.
A nearby Amazon warehouse, separate from the affected unit, was evacuated, PA Media reported.
A London fire brigade assistant commissioner, Andy Pennick, said: “The brigade was called at 11.36 am to reports of a fire on Hannah Close, Neasden. Upon arrival, firefighters were met by a well‑developed fire involving a waste transfer facility.
“Recognising the scale of the fire, the initial officer in attendance immediately requested 20 fire engines be mobilised to the scene.
“An industrial unit, approximately 100 metres by 150 metres, was alight. At the height of the fire around 125 firefighters were in attendance.”
Pennick added: “This is a protracted incident that will see crews on scene for the remainder of the day as they work to fully extinguish the fire.”
London Fire Brigade later said the blaze was under control by about 5 pm. Its cause was not yet known and is under investigation.
The incident marks the third major fire at a recycling centre in London this summer. Earlier this month, about 100 firefighters responded to a blaze at a Deptford facility that involved roughly 50 tonnes of stored household waste.
Fires at recycling centres caused by wrongly discarded lithium batteries, such as those found in vapes, are occurring at the rate of more than 10 a week, according to figures from the Environmental Services Association.
Battery fires at waste facilities are estimated to cost £1 bn a year and are causing growing frustration among fire chiefs.
