Likely cause of Kilmarnock dump fire as council issues warning to residents

Homeowners are urged to properly dispose of batteries following the landfill fire in Kilmarnock.

Council leaders stated today that the source of the fire that broke out at Kilmarnock’s landfill yesterday is still unknown.

The official cause of the fire that started at the recycling site last night is still unknown.

Council leaders, however, think that a toy or a piece of plastic that had a discarded battery inside could have caused the fire.

Yesterday evening, Scottish Fire & Rescue were called to the Council’s Western Road Depot to put out a fire that was quickly brought under control.

“The fire was contained within one of our contractors’ metal containers, which was located within the depot yard,” an East Ayrshire Council spokesman stated. Although the exact source is unknown, it was either a toy or a piece of plastic that had a discarded battery inside of it.

“Even though these kinds of situations are uncommon, they emphasise how crucial it is to dispose of batteries properly. All domestic batteries should be placed in a bag, tied loosely to the recycling trolley handle or placed on top of the trolley for collection, as per our recommendation to homeowners.

You can use the following to find other battery recycling locations:

A representative for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service stated: “On Monday, May 20, at 6:05 p.m., we received reports of burning refuse in Kilmarnock.”One appliance was dispatched by operations control to the town’s Western Road, where firemen put out the fire and made the area secure before departing the scene.”