Lithium ion battery causes accidental fire at Pitsea recycling centre
Over 50 fire crews attended the blaze over the three days
Firefighters have confirmed a large fire that lasted for three days in Pitsea was caused by a lithium ion battery put into a skip.
The accidental blaze was extinguished yesterday afternoon (January 21), with a total of 52 crews attending from Essex County Fire and Rescue Service (ECFRS), following the fire igniting on Friday (January 19).
Crews from Basildon, Leigh, Rayleigh Weir, Southend, Wickford and Hawkwell all attended the scene at Archers Fields.
Group Manager Craig McLellan said: "I'd like to start by saying a massive thank you to all the site staff, and the countless firefighters that have been here over the past three days, working tirelessly to extinguish the fire. It has been a tremendous effort, and we have now successfully extinguished the fire and are in a position to hand the site back over to the business.
"I'd like to stress the importance of disposing of your lithium ion batteries properly, not in a skip or with domestic household waste. The impact of this fire on the business has been huge, which has been caused due to irresponsible disposal. Always check with your local authority for suitable battery recycling arrangements in your area."