11/9/23 Day 4-Waste Transfer Station Fire🔥Controlled Demolition Of Structure. Shakespeare Rd, SE24.

Fifteen fire engines and around 100 firefighters tackled a fire at a waste transfer station on Shakespeare Road in Herne Hill.

The whole of the building was alight and partially collapsed. There were no reports of any injuries.

Twelve gas cylinders were removed to safety as a precaution as some cylinders can explode when exposed to heat.

The fire was brought under control on the morning of Friday 8 September but crews have remained on scene in recent days putting out the fire where it has been safe to do so. Following a controlled demolition of the building, which has given us access to areas of fire that remained, the fire was fully extinguished this morning (12 September).

Deputy Assistant Commissioner for the South West London Area, Nick Davis, said: “Firefighters have been continually tackling the fire at the waste transfer station in Herne Hill since it started on Friday morning. Controlled demolition on site allowed us to safely make progress and the fire was fully extinguished this morning, which I know will come of huge relief to local residents.

“This fire has had a significant impact on the communities in the surrounding area and I know how difficult it has been for people to keep their doors and windows closed during the heatwave. Local senior fire officers and members of our Community Engagement team are continuing to give advice to local residents and provide support. We are carrying out an investigation into the fire and we are fully supporting the Metropolitan Police Service’s investigation.

“The challenging nature of the fire on site means that firefighters from across London have attended over the weekend. I would like to thank our operational staff, control officers and enabling teams for their work to maintain our presence on site for over 80 hours and counting.”

Firefighters have been working closely with partners and have been engaging with the local community and providing support where needed.

Two 32-metre turntable ladders were used as water towers at the height of the blaze to tackle the flames from height.

The Brigade's 999 Control Officers took 27 calls to the incident.

The Brigade was called at 0209 and the fire was under control by 0702. Fire crews from Brixton, Clapham, West Norwood, Peckham and surrounding fire stations have been in attendance and firefighters will remain on site over the coming days.

The cause of the fire is under investigation by the Brigade and Metropolitan Police.

Further information

On Sunday (10 September), with the support of the landowner, it was deemed safe enough for demolition of the building to commence, which has enabled our crews to reach areas that were previously inaccessible.
We have monitored air quality in the immediate aftermath of the fire which indicated there should be no significant public health concerns. We have been working alongside partners, including the Environment Agency (EA).
A report produced by the EA and UK Health Security Agency on Sunday morning concluded the air quality risks to the public from this incident are “low” if public health advice, such as keeping windows and doors closed, is followed.