Waste4Fuel’s mountain of rotting waste in St Paul’s Cray caught fire for the second time in two days this morning (September 18).
Six fire engines and around 35 firefighters and officers from Plumstead, Lee Green, Eltham, Sidcup, Bromley and Addington tackled the flames at the recycling plant in Cornwall Drive.
The fire brigade was called at 6.44am and the fire was brought under control at 8.57am.
Crews remained at the site damping down pockets of fire.
A London Fire Brigade spokesperson said five percent of around 30,000 tonnes of waste was thought to be alight.
Three fire engines attended a blaze at the notorious recycling plant yesterday morning which was declared under control at around 9.56am.
Local resident Patricia Smith, of Bostall Road said: “We were absolutely suffocated with black acrid smoke belching out.
The 67-year-old said: “It’s absolutely disgusting and it’s giving everyone a sore throat. This situation is just carrying on and on and on.”
Peter Hadfield, of Orpington and District Angling Association, said he saw the fire from the nearby Ruxley lakes at around 8.30am.
The 75-year-old said: “My friend was fishing at the lakes all night and he said he saw the flames at about four o’clock this morning.
“The flames went on for several hours. We heard the fire engines coming. It was really quite a blaze.”
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