Explosions rock Berkshire overnight as 150 tonnes of batteries catch fire at Thatcham recycling centre

From the Newshound archive · first published 29 September 2026.

A massive battery blaze erupted at Colthrop Business Park in Thatcham, West Berkshire, at around 7:30pm on Monday, sending thick black smoke into the sky and triggering repeated loud explosions heard across the area through the night. Crews from Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service were joined by reinforcements from Oxfordshire, Dorset and Wiltshire, and Hampshire and Isle of Wight, with specialist appliances including an aerial ladder platform and a high-capacity water carrier deployed to fight the flames. Firefighters are expected to remain on site throughout Tuesday to damp down hotspots.

Residents are warned to stay indoors, keep doors and windows closed, and avoid the area while smoke lingers.

The blaze halted trains between Reading and Newbury on Monday evening, with long-distance London Paddington to West Country services diverted before the line reopened late that night.

'Sounded like fireworks, but could only see the smoke,' one local resident posted as explosions rang out through the evening.