Specialist crews deployed to fight fire, forcing road closures in West End

An electric bin lorry burst into flames in central London on Monday morning, forcing roads in the West End to close.

Specialist crews were deployed to the fire after the £580,000 electric lorry caught fire. The Telegraph has the story.

The lithium battery-powered trucks were recently launched by Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, as part of a Westminster City council initiative to reduce carbon emissions.

Oxford Street and Duke Street were closed following the incident as firefighting operations and investigations continued.

Photographs showed smoke rising from the stationary lorry, with rubbish and debris surrounding the vehicle as firefighters tackled the flames.

London Fire Brigade sent three teams from Paddington and a specialist fire rescue unit to the incident to deal with the risks posed by the electric vehicle such as potential reignition and toxic fumes.

Emergency responders used specialised tools, including disc cutters and saws, to create access points on the vehicle’s side, allowing them to tackle flames within. All occupants of the truck escaped without injury.

Westminster City council has said it will be conducting a full investigation into the cause of the fire, focusing on possible electrical faults.

The council had introduced 45 battery-powered bin lorries last July. Initially rolled out as a part of a government-sponsored trial, the £20 million fleet is based at a specially designed depot in Bermondsey.

Cllr Paul Dimoldenberg, of Westminster City council, said last summer that the “trailblazing electrification” would improve air quality and reduce CO2 emissions by 2,000 tonnes per year.

The British-built vehicles were made by Warwick-based Dennis Eagle and are operated by the waste contractor Veolia.

Read the full story here.