A fire at an agriculture processing factory in Erith has caused traffic disruptions and delays to orders at a nearby warehouse.
The fire brigade was called at 9:50am on Monday, 16 September, and had extinguished the fire on Wednesday at 11:12am, two days after it started.
Passengers were frustrated at the early termination of buses as roads were closed by emergency services.
Local councillor and resident Chris Ball said: “The comments I have had, which I share as an Erith resident, are concern that things were contained, which was the case, and then more practical issues that a busy road was closed, putting pressure on the local network.”
Some residents were evacuated on Monday but were returned to their homes later.
The incident involved a corkscrew conveyor belt that set alight, but the exact cause of the fire remains unknown.
The London Fire Brigade said on their website on Wednesday: “The A2016 Bronze Age Way has reopened to traffic, having previously been closed for public safety.
“A number of nearby businesses on the industrial site were required to shut as we responded.
“Some homes were evacuated on Monday but residents have been able to return to their homes.”
Police had cordoned off the area, with multiple train and bus stations remaining closed.
The nearby Ocado warehouse was also affected by the fire, with customers taking to X annoyed at the inconvenience.
On X, Ocado confirmed their delivery service was operational on Thursday.
Hi there! We are back up and running as normal. ☺️
— Ocado (@Ocado) September 19, 2024
The ADM factory that caught fire is responsible for processing rapeseed oil and previously caught fire in 2020 – investigators at the time blamed the cause on an accident.
Both ADM and Ocado offered no response when asked for comment on updates.
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