A large ferrous scrap stockpile at Sims Metal Management UK’s export yard in Avonmouth Dock caught fire late on October 4, according to local media reports.
According to local firefighters, the fire is located deep in a “sorted” 20,000mt pile of scrap metal and is unlikely to be extinguished until a grabber can open access to the centre of the fire.
One UK-based trader commented that media (video) coverage showed that it was a large pile of HMS 1&2 grade ferrous scrap that had unusually caught fire.
Davis Index has subsequently verified these assertions with the use of satellite imagery, aerial and roadside footage that clearly shows a pile of heavy melt scrap on fire.
The same trader hypothesised that fires of this nature are not that uncommon and typically ignited by lithium ion batteries which can spontaneously combust when wet or punctured.