Landfill and Recycling Centre Fire in Scotland
A large-scale fire burned at the Ladybank Waste Facility near Lower Melville Wood in Fife, Scotland, following an outbreak on 12 May 2026 at a waste transfer and recycling site. The incident persisted for several days, with Scottish Fire and Rescue Service crews maintaining continuous operations to contain the fire and extinguish hotspots across an extensive area of burning waste.
The fire generated significant smoke plumes that affected nearby communities and transport corridors, prompting public health advisories for residents to remain indoors and keep windows and doors closed where smoke was present. During the earlier stages of the incident, the A92 and surrounding road networks were disrupted. The recycling centre and waste transfer operations remained closed while emergency response operations and safety assessments were carried out.
- Type of event
- Fire
- Location of event
- United Kingdom Of Great Britain And Northern Ireland
- Date of Charter Activation
- 2026-05-15
- Time of Charter Activation
- 09:38
- Time zone of Charter Activation
- UTC+01:00
- Charter Requestor
- Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA)
- Activation ID
- 1030
- Project Management
- Ernest de Rijk (Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA))
- Value Adding
- University of Stirling