Vape suspected of causing recycling site fire

A fire which broke out at a recycling centre in Coventry may have been caused by a vape or lithium battery that found its way into the recycling process, the owner has said.

Crews were called to the Circom factory on Blackburn Road at about 11:30 BST on Sunday, with the blaze involving "a large quantity of recycled material", according to the fire service.

The damage was limited to the corner roof of the building and no machinery was damaged, said owner Richard Allsopp.

"The fire crew were on site quickly and did a professional job and dealt with the fire very quickly," he added.

About 30 firefighters were called to the scene.

On-site machinery was used to move materials outside the unit to be damped down.

"Our own fire suppression system also worked very well to slow down the spread," added the owner.

"We expect to be back up and running by [Wednesday] subject to National Grid reconnecting the electrical supply, and are already making preparation to repair the damaged roof."

Lithium batteries have caused fires across the West Midlands, with three bin lorry fires in four months in Warwickshire.

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