Josh FryerA fire which engulfed a battery recycling plant in North Ayrshire is not being treated as suspicious after explosions were heard and homes evacuated.
Emergency services were called to a large scale fire at Fenix Battery Recycling on Byrehill Place in Kilwinning at around 12.42pm on Wednesday.
The call-out came exactly one year after the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) battled a blaze at the site which raged for four days.
Six fire service appliances were sent to the scene near St Luke’s Primary School and people were urged to avoid the area.
Lauren McMillianSeveral houses in the vicinity were evacuated, with locals later allowed to return to their homes.
Plumes of smoke could be seen in the area and “explosions” were heard.
Police said on Friday following a joint investigation with fire crews that the blaze is being treated as “non-suspicious”.
Emergency services are being stood down from the area.
A Police Scotland statement read: “Residents living in the vicinity of the industrial estate are thanked for their co-operation and are reminded of the guidance from NHS Ayrshire & Arran’s Public Health team to continue to keep windows and doors shut and vents closed.
“Locals are also advised not to pick up any batteries or debris from the surrounding area.
“Please report items and their location to SEED Environmental Ltd via the following email address: kilwinning@seedenvironmental.co.uk.
“Please refer to SEPA, North Ayrshire Council or Cunninghame Housing Association for further information.”
Residents say fire caused ‘sheer panic and terror’
Local residents told STV News the initial explosion sounded like “a terrorist attack”.
Marj Agnew said: It’s sheer panic and terror.
“I was out the back door hanging a washing out, and I just heard a giant bang.
“It sounded like it was a terrorist attack. That’s how loud it was, it was terrible.
“There are toxic fumes in the air. It’s obviously toxic as we can see people in hazard suits.
“There’s yellow tape outside my driveway and I’ve been told I can’t take the car out. The roads around us are all shut down. We shouldn’t be subject to this.
“We’re not happy it wasn’t cleared and made safe a year ago. The people from the factory have a duty of care to make sure it’s safe, and they are not doing that.”
Resident Lauren McMillian described the blaze as “so scary, again”.
“A lady ran by and said it’s happening again, it’s happening again, and I just instantly knew what she was meaning,” she said.
“I went out the front and the girl across the road was like just stay in, just stay indoors, but my papa lives directly behind me, and he’s himself. So I quickly ran round there to make sure he was alright and turned around, and there it was again.
“Explosions, batteries going everywhere, flames, smoke. It was just so scary again.”
Fire at the same plant one year on
Following the previous explosion in 2024, residents claimed there were promises of “increased fire safety precautions”.
Last year two enforcement notices were served by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) requiring Fenix Battery Recycling Ltd to remove waste batteries that have been on the site at West Byrehill Industrial Estate for longer than six months.
However, STV News were told the company behind the factory – Regenerate Technology Global – who had planned to rebuild the site – has since gone into administration, with the director of the company claiming they no longer have anything to do with the site.
Mrs Agnew has said she and her fellow residents are “not happy” that the site was not made safe following the blaze this time last year.
She also confirmed she and her fellow neighbours will be taking legal action over whoever is now in charge of the factory.
“We’re not happy it wasn’t cleared and made safe a year ago,” she added.
“The people from the factory have a duty of care to make sure it’s safe, and they are not doing that.
“It’s a year to the day since the last fire. What are the chances of that. Really it should have been cleared and made safe after the last trauma we went through.
“That’s two times in a year, in a 12-month period, that we’ve been left terrified.
“I’ve got videos to send the insurance company, and I phoned the housing association.
“A lot of neighbours here are not happy at the situation we’ve been put in, and we will be taking legal action.
“We shouldn’t be in a position where we are forced to lock ourselves in and can’t leave our homes, just so we don’t breathe in these toxic fumes.”
Fenix Battery Recycling owners Regenerate Technology Global have appointed insolvency practitioners Revolution RTI as liquidators.
STV News has contacted Revolution RTI for comment.
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