Households have been warned there could be problems with bin collections after a fire at a waste plant.

Four fire engines were called to the Energy from Waste site in Allington, Maidstone shortly after 11.30am yesterday (June 9).

The site, in Laverstoke Road, was evacuated, and all people accounted for.

Crews wore breathing apparatus and used main jets to extinguish the flames. The blaze was put out at around 1.30pm.

Currently, the cause isn’t known, and no injuries were reported, a fire service spokesman confirmed.

A Kent County Council spokesman added: “We are working closely with our contractor who has experienced a fire at the Energy from Waste plant in Allington.

“The situation is under control, and our contingency plans are in place to ensure there is no disruption to waste services.”

‘It's possible the blaze was sparked by mobile phone and vape batteries mistakenly put into household bins…’

But today (June 10), Maidstone Borough Council (MBC) has warned residents of temporary disruptions to waste collection services in some areas.

“Our refuse collectors are now having to travel to Sittingbourne to tip their loads, which is causing delays,” a spokesman explained.

“We appreciate your understanding and cooperation during this time.

“Despite the incident, our waste contractors, Suez, worked incredibly hard and completed an impressive 94% of collections yesterday.

“However, it’s possible that services may not run as smoothly as usual over the coming days.”

In the meantime, residents are being asked to leave bins out visible for collection and to avoid reporting missed collections unless a neighbour’s bins have been emptied and not yours.

The spokesperson continued: “While the cause of the fire is still under investigation, it’s a stark reminder about safe waste disposal.

“It’s possible the blaze was sparked by mobile phone and vape batteries mistakenly put into household bins.

“Please remember to dispose of items containing lithium-ion batteries in your general household waste or recycling.

“These batteries pose an extremely high fire risk and are incredibly difficult to extinguish once ignited.

“Instead, always take them to a designated collection point to ensure they are handled safely and prevent dangerous incidents like this.”