The cause of a huge fire that ripped through a waste centre in Colwick has been deemed accidental. Crews from across the county were called to a fire at Colwick Industrial Estate at 8.35am April 15 where 20 tonnes of rubbish caught alight at the Biffa waste centre.
Though the cause has been deemed accidental, the fire service said it was likely that lithium batteries had been discarded into general waste.
Phil Revill, group manager at Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service, said: "Lithium battery fires in waste disposal centres are avoidable. We ask that members of the public think before discarding batteries into their general waste.
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"Thankfully we were able to contain this fire within a matter of hours, but irresponsible waste disposal does have consequences. If you are unsure on what you can or cannot bin, please contact your local council."
Firefighters from the Carlton, London Road, Arnold, Highfields and Edwinstowe, Collingham, and Hucknall fire stations attended the incident. As did the Aerial Ladder Platform, Ashfield's High Volume Pump and the Water Carrier from Worksop Fire Station.
The fire was extinguished by approximately 1pm and crews revisited at 6pm to reinspect the scene. Colwick workers told Nottinghamshire Live they have seen 'nothing like' the scale of blaze that took hold of the Biffa waste centre. People had been told to keep doors and windows closed, and were urged to avoid the area.
The industrial fire came less than 24 hours after another major fire in Clifton, where the former Clifton College campus on Farnborough Road caught fire on Thursday (April 14) evening. The fire left a trail of shattered glass and blown out windows.
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