Firefighters are expected to remain at the scene in Neasden for the remainder of the day working to fully extinguish a major blaze at an industrial waste facility near Wembley Stadium, the London Fire Brigade has confirmed.

The fire, which broke out in an industrial unit measuring roughly 100 metres by 150 metres on Hannah Close, was brought under control at around 5pm. No injuries have been reported, but residents were urged to stay indoors with windows and doors shut due to heavy smoke, and local road traffic was severely disrupted.

London Fire Brigade Assistant Commissioner Andy Pennick confirmed that the brigade was called at 11:36am to reports of the fire, rather than 11:34am as we previously reported. The initial officer in attendance requested 20 fire engines immediately, with around 125 firefighters mobilised from Wembley, Park Royal, Willesden, and neighbouring stations.

A neighbouring Amazon warehouse was evacuated as a precaution during the height of the response, according to PA Media. The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, thanked firefighters for their work to protect nearby lives and businesses, and urged the public to follow safety advice issued by emergency crews.

The blaze caused widespread disruption across the capital's transport network. Transport for London suspended the entire Metropolitan line and halted Jubilee line services between Wembley Park and West Hampstead, with severe delays across the rest of the line. Rail services into London Marylebone were also affected. TfL arranged ticket acceptance on London Buses, the DLR, the Elizabeth line, the Mildmay line, c2c, and Thameslink services to assist passengers.

The cause of the fire remains unknown and is under active investigation by the brigade.

This marks the third major fire at a London waste and recycling site this summer, following an incident earlier this month in Deptford that drew around 100 firefighters to extinguish 50 tonnes of household waste. While the cause in Neasden has not been established, Environmental Services Association data indicates improperly discarded lithium-ion batteries cause more than 10 recycling centre fires each week across the UK, costing the sector roughly £1bn annually.

Fire investigators remain on site in Neasden, and I will continue to follow the inquiry into how the fire started.