Huge waste facility fire shuts Tube and train lines

A large fire broke out at a waste facility close to Wembley Stadium in north-west London, causing disruption to Tube and train lines.

The London Fire Brigade (LFB) said 125 firefighters were deployed to tackle the blaze at an industrial estate on Hannah Close in Neasden, with the smoke plumes visible from miles away in central London.

The LFB was alerted just after 11:30 BST and deployed 20 fire engines to the scene. Residents were warned to keep their windows and doors shut because of the huge amount of smoke.

The fire caused extensive suspensions across the Metropolitan line and partial closures on the Jubilee line well into Friday night.

The fire had suspended the entire Metropolitan line for several hours on Friday afternoon.

It later only partially reopened, but remained suspended between Harrow-on-the-Hill and Aldgate.

Rail services to and from London Marylebone were also delayed or cancelled due to train lines to Aylesbury being affected, National Rail said.

Passengers were advised to check for ongoing travel updates before travelling.

Speaking from the scene, LFB Assistant Commissioner Andy Pennick said firefighters were met by a well-developed fire involving a waste transfer facility and immediately requested 20 fire engines.

"This is a protracted incident that will see crews on scene for the remainder of the day as the work to fully extinguish the fire," he said.

"I'd like to thank our firefighters for their hard work so far at this fire, and our control officers for managing a significant number of calls and coordinating or response."

A TfL spokesperson said: "We're continuing to liaise with LFB to make sure we understand what we can operate safely for both our customers and staff."

The industrial unit on fire measures approximately 100m by 150m (161,400 sq ft), the LFB said.

The facility is run by London Energy, a company owned by the North London Waste Authority, which is responsible for disposing all waste for the boroughs of Barnet, Camden, Enfield, Hackney, Haringey, Islington and Waltham Forest.

A spokesperson for the firm confirmed that all London Energy employees were safe and there had been no injuries.

The LFB said it had received more than 70 calls reporting the blaze, and its cause is unknown.

BBC News understands that an Amazon delivery facility based in the industrial estate has not been directly impacted by the fire, but staff have been evacuated as precaution.

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