A large blaze involving about 450 tonnes of cardboard, where huge plumes of smoke could be seen for miles around, is thought to have been caused by a disposable vape battery, fire investigators have said.
Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service said the blaze at a recycling facility in Widnes, which “spread rapidly”, was “believed to have been caused accidentally by a damaged lithium-ion battery”.
It said this was “most likely from a disposable vape that had been incorrectly disposed of”.
Nobody was injured in the fire, which was attended by 25 engines from Cheshire, Lancashire and Greater Manchester, and declared a major incident.