Recycling site fire caused £79k worth of damage, polluted land and killed fish

A RECYCLING centre showed a “flagrant safety breach" after the fire service were hindered in tackling a blaze at the site due to a large pile of scrap metal.

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As a result of the breach, the fire caused more than £79,000 worth of damage and caused the death of 175 fish.

SL Recycling, based in Penallta, near Ystrad Mynach, Caerphilly, allowed a stack of metal scrap to exceed the maximum of four metres, reaching heights of 7.5m. This compromised exit routes at the site reduced available room for a designated quarantine area in the event of a fire.

A sentencing hearing at Newport Crown Court, which began on Friday, June 6, heard an emergency call was made to the South Wales Fire and Rescue Service (SWFRS) on September 1, 2021, due to a large fire at the SL Recycling site in Penallta, with fire crews arriving at 3.26pm.

The fire had been caused after a lithium-ion battery exploded when a vehicle shell was crushed. The blaze spread to the pile of scrap metal stored within the yard, leading to approximately 150 tonnes of recycling material including, plastic, foam, electrical items, lead batteries, and gas cylinders to catch fire, along with machinery.