Overview
- Firefighters tackled a major blaze at Wiser Recycling in Thetford on Thursday evening after 7pm, deploying about 27 appliances, evacuating nearby businesses, and reporting no injuries.
- Norfolk Fire and Rescue scaled down the response by Friday night but kept crews on scene into a second night and lifted the advice to keep doors and windows closed.
- Norfolk County Council stopped accepting electrical items at its 19 recycling centres and said contingency plans aim to restart collections by the middle of next week.
- Residents were urged not to put electrical items or batteries in household bins because lithium‑ion cells can ignite and are hard to extinguish, with officials asking people to store items safely at home.
- Photos showed flames burned through the recycling centre’s roof as the cause remains under investigation, and councils warned the pause could strain bulky‑waste services already limited by separate fridge and freezer processing problems.